COLUMBUS – While a decline in the number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits last week indicated a brisk rebound from the coronavirus recession, data in Ohio suggests the state’s recovery is more uneven.
The number of Ohioans filing for first-time jobless benefits during the final week of July increased by 1.3% over the week before, according to data the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported to the U.S. Department of Labor Thursday.
Nationally, the number dropped by 14,000 to 385,000, more evidence that the economy and the job market are recovering.
Applications for initial benefits – a measurement of the pace of layoffs – is 8% higher than the pandemic-era low recorded three weeks ago but 15% lower than the number reported during the week that ended on July 17, according to the state’s data.
The number of filings for continued benefits – considered a more reliable barometer of the economy’s overall health — dropped by 4%, continuing a steady pace of declines that has lasted more than 20 weeks.
The total number of workers who claimed unemployment benefits in Ohio was 369,455, a 4% decline over the week before.