For the week ending May 23, 2020, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) reported 42,082 initial jobless claims to the U.S. Dept. of Labor. The number of initial jobless claims filed in Ohio over the last 10 weeks — 1,257,838 — is more than the combined total of those filed during the last three years.

Over the last 10 weeks, ODJFS has distributed more than $3.1 billion in unemployment compensation payments to more than 644,000 claimants. Of the more than 1 million applications the agency has received, nearly 93% have been processed, with about 7% pending. In addition, ODJFS has issued more than $647 million in PUA payments to more than 109,000 claimants.

ODJFS urges individuals to file their claims online, if possible, at unemployment.ohio.gov. Each claim is important to us, and we recognize the hardship that the COVID-19 pandemic has placed on many Ohio families. We are expanding staff support, working longer hours and adding more technological capacity so that we can serve Ohioans as quickly as possible.

All eligible Ohioans will receive their unemployment benefits – and any delays in processing their claims will not reduce the amount received. ODJFS will not rest until all eligible Ohioans are served.

Helpful FAQs

• Coronavirus-Specific Unemployment Information: unemployment.ohio.gov

• Filing for Unemployment Step-by-Step Guide: jfs.ohio.gov/ouio/pdf/QuickTipsAndStepByStepGuide.pdf

• New Federal Pandemic Unemployment Programs: jfs.ohio.gov/ocomm/pdf/CARES-ACT.pdf

Call center hours

Those without internet access can call 1-877-644-6562 (OHIO-JOB) from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sundays.

As a reminder, mass layoff notices are posted at jfs.ohio.gov/warn/current.stm .