Ohioans filed 20,969 initial jobless claims last week, according to statistics the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) reported to the U.S. Dept. of Labor Thursday.
This was 253,246 fewer than the peak earlier this year. Ohioans filed 374,751 continued jobless claims last week, which were 401,551 fewer than the peak earlier this year.
The total number of initial jobless claims filed in Ohio over the last 21 weeks (1,604,708) was more than the combined total of those filed during the last four years.
Over the last 21 weeks, ODJFS has distributed more than $5.9 billion in unemployment compensation payments to more than 778,000 Ohioans. Of the more than 1 million applications the agency has received, about 94% have been processed, with about 6% pending.
In addition, ODJFS has issued more than $5 billion in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) payments to more than 514,000 PUA claimants.
Recovery efforts
While ODJFS continues to manage the state’s unemployment program, it also has multiple initiatives under way to help spur Ohio’s economic recovery. These include an $8.5 million National Dislocated Worker Grant that will help unemployed workers and employers impacted by COVID-19 and a $9.4 million grant to expand apprenticeship opportunities.
ODJFS works in partnership with local workforce development boards and local staff to provide employment and training services at 22 comprehensive and 66 affiliate OhioMeansJobs centers throughout the state.
Individuals can visit OhioMeansJobs.com or contact their local OhioMeansJobs center to find and apply for job openings, take skill and career interest assessments, create or improve their resumes, and practice interviewing.
Employers can contact their nearest OhioMeansJobs center to get help finding skilled candidates for jobs, screening resumes, learning about federally funded tax credits or training programs, and more.
To find contact information for your nearest OhioMeansJobs center, visit OhioMeansJobs.com and click on the icon for OhioMeansJobs centers.
More info
ODJFS urges individuals to file their unemployment claims online, if possible, at unemployment.ohio.gov.
Individuals seeking PUA benefits should file their claims online at pua.unemployment.ohio.gov.
All eligible Ohioans will receive their unemployment benefits, and any processing delays will not reduce the amount received. ODJFS will not rest until all eligible Ohioans are served.
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
As a reminder, mass layoff notices are posted at jfs.ohio.gov/warn/current.stm.
