COLUMBUS – The number of Ohioans filing first-time claims for unemployment benefits during the week that ended Sept. 4 remained virtually unchanged from the three-month high recorded the week before, according to data provided by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to the U.S. Department of Labor Thursday.
The 13,509 initial claims for unemployment benefits was 1.6% fewer than the week that ended Aug. 28, when the number of first-time claims hit a level not seen since June, indicating an increase in layoffs.
The number of Ohioans filing continued claims also fell slightly, though the total number of claims processed by the state rose 6% to 384,4000.
The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell sharply last week to a pandemic low of just over 300,000, a sign that the surge in COVID-19 cases caused by the delta variant has yet to lead to widespread layoffs.