COLUMBUS – The number of Ohioans claiming unemployment benefits for the first time increased for the second week in a row and for the fourth time out of the last five weeks, even though layoffs and unemployment nationally remain at historically low levels.
According to data supplied by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services Thursday, 17,662 workers initial claims during the week that ended on April 2, a 9.3% increase over the week before.
First-time applications for jobless aid generally represent the pace of layoffs. The four-week average for claims, which compensates for weekly volatility, increased by 10.6%.
The statistics were shared with the U.S. Department of Labor.
The 47,318 continued claims declined slightly, the fifth straight weekly drop but the total number of claims filed from March 27 to April 2 was up 1.7%
Ohio’s unemployment rate in February was 4.2%.
Nationwide, jobless claims fell to 166,000. A total of 1.52 million Americans were collecting jobless aid for the week ending March 26, a level not seen in more than 50 years.