COLUMBUS – The number of Ohioans filing initial claims for unemployment benefits fell slightly last week after four straight weeks of increases.
Ohio workers filed 47,786 initial jobless claims last week, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, 4% fewer than the week before, though there are still signs the COVID-19 pandemic is idling large numbers of workers.
Ohioans filed 278,102 continued traditional and extended unemployment claims, considered a more accurate measure of the economy’s health, a 6% hike from the week before. Another 143,285 individuals received Pandemic Unemployment Assistance.
The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell to 779,000 last week, the lowest in two months, but an indication that a sizable number of people are still losing jobs to the viral pandemic.