COLUMBUS – New claims for unemployment benefits in Ohio and around the nation fell to pandemic-era lows last week, evidence that layoffs are declining as companies hold onto workers.
Ohioans filed 7,554 initial claims for traditional unemployment benefits during the week that ended Oct. 16, 23% fewer than the week before, according to data the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services provided updated data to the U.S. Department of Labor Thursday.
There were 45,750 continued claims last week, a 10% decline, and the total number of traditional claims filed from Oct. 10 to Oct. 16, 2021, was 12% lower than the week before.
Unemployment claims nationwide dropped to 290,000 last week, the third straight drop.
That’s the fewest people to apply for benefits since March 14, 2020, when the pandemic intensified.
Applications for jobless aid, which generally track the pace of layoffs, have fallen steadily from about 900,000 in January.
Ohio’s unemployment rate in August was 5.4% while the national unemployment rate was 5.2%.