COLUMBUS – The number of Ohioans filing claims for unemployment benefits fell for the second week in a row as the total number of Americans collecting aid fell to its lowest level in more than 50 years.
Two years after the coronavirus pandemic plunged the economy into a brief but devastating recession, American workers are enjoying extraordinary job security.
Initial jobless claims in Ohio during the week that ended April 16 were down by 21% from the week before and fell to their lowest level since the end of February. The 10,884 claims were 38.3% lower than the number of initial claims filed two weeks ago, indicating a slowdown in layoffs.
The four-week average of claims, which levels out week-to-week volatility, fell by 2.8%.
The number of continued claims filed last week was 11.2% lower than the week before and the total number of claims processed by the state was 13.3% lower, according to data the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services shared with the U.S. Department of Labor Thursday.
Ohio added jobs for the fifth straight month in March, dropping the state’s unemployment rate to its pre-pandemic level of 4.1%.
About 1.42 million Americans were collecting traditional unemployment benefits in the week of April 9, the fewest since Feb. 21, 1970.