COLUMBUS – The number of Ohioans filing initial unemployment claims increased by 3% last week, ending a four-week run of declines, indicating that employers are still cutting large numbers of jobs as the coronavirus bedevils the U.S. economy.
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported to the U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday that 21,663 workers filed initial jobless claims during the week than ended August 15, 694 more than the week before.
The 359,585 filings for continued jobless claims last week was 64,087 fewer than one month ago and 416,717 fewer than the peak earlier this year.
The total number of initial jobless claims filed in Ohio over the last 22 weeks is 1.63 million, more than the combined total of the last four years.
Over the last 22 weeks, ODJFS has distributed more than $6 billion in unemployment compensation payments to more than 784,000 Ohioans and more than $5.2 billion in federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance payments to more than 529,000 claimants, such as self-employed workers, who traditionally do not qualify for benefits.
The number of laid-off workers seeking U.S. unemployment benefits rose to 1.1 million last week after two weeks of declines, suggesting that more than five months after the viral outbreak erupted, the economy is still weak despite recent gains as some businesses reopen and some sectors like housing and manufacturing have rebounded.
A rising number of people who have lost jobs say they consider their loss to be permanent.
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For the first time in four days, the state reported over 1,000 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19.
There were 1,122 new cases Thursday, bringing the total number since the pandemic began to 112,003 with 3,929 deaths. There were 16,418 active cases.
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Columbus Metropolitan Library will open its three remaining branches for Limited Services:
Monday, Aug. 24, the Gahanna Branch will open for Limited Services.
Monday, Aug. 31, CML’s remaining two branches – Hilliard and Whetstone – will open for Limited Services, and Job Help will expand to the Karl Road, Parsons and Southeast branches.
All locations continue to offer Curbside Pickup.