COLUMBUS – First-time claims for jobless benefits in Ohio resumed their upward climb last week as layoffs increased in some sectors of the nationwide economy that have cooled in recent months.
There were 23.7% more initial claims for unemployment benefits during the week that ended on June 25, the seventh increase in the last eight weeks, according to data shared with the U.S. Department of Labor by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services Thursday.
The number of filings for continuing benefits fell for the first time since May 28.
The total number of claims processed by the department during the week was 46,116, an increase of 4.3% over the previous week.
Slightly fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, reflecting a still robust job market.
First-time applications generally represent the number of layoffs.
The four-week average for claims, which evens out some of the week-to-week volatility, rose by 11.5% in Ohio.
The total number of Americans collecting jobless benefits has hovered near 50-year lows for months.