COLUMBUS – The state has reported that 46,062 Ohioans filed first-time applications for jobless benefits last week in the latest wave of layoffs from the viral outbreak that triggered widespread business shutdowns two months ago and sent the economy into a deep recession.
Individuals are urged to file claims online, if possible.
Those without internet access can call 1-877-644-6562 (OHIO-JOB) from 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. weekdays, from 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. on Saturdays and from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. on Sundays.
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services says the 1.2 million initial jobless claims filed in Ohio over the last nine weeks exceeds the combined total of those filed during the last three years.
The number of first-time claims has declined steadily for the past six weeks, indicating the pace of job losses is slowing as Ohio and other states reopen their economies.
Over the last nine weeks, ODJFS has distributed more than $2.8 billion in unemployment compensation payments to more than 619,000 workers, more than 92% of the applications the department has received.
Roughly 38.6 million people across the U.S. have now filed for jobless aid since the coronavirus forced millions of businesses to close their doors and shrink their workforces, the Labor Department said Thursday.
Another 2.2 million people sought aid under the Pandemic Assistance Program for self-employed, contractor and gig workers, who are now eligible for jobless aid for the first time. More than 161,000 Ohioans have applied for assistance under the PUA program and ODJFS has issued more than $21 million in payments.