COLUMBUS – Initial jobless claims in Ohio have returned to pre-pandemic levels for the first time.
The news comes even as a fresh report sheds more light on the extent of fraud experienced by Ohio’s unemployment insurance program.
It’s the second week in a row claims fell below 8,000. The state recorded about the same number of initial claims for unemployment as the coronavirus pandemic struck in 2020.
A state auditor’s report also found that one in four of the 4 million claims for benefits during the period may have been overpayments or fraudulent payments.
The number of new claims has declined during four of the past five weeks, indicating that Ohio’s economic recovery from the recession brought on by COVID-19 continues to build momentum.
According to data provided to the U.S Department of Labor by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services Thursday, 7,044 initial claims were filed during the week that ended Oct. 23, a 6.7% decline from the week before and the 42,410 continued claims last week, was down 7.3%.
The total number of jobless claims filed during the week was 7.2% fewer than the week before.
That came on the heels of news that Ohio added 9,900 jobs in September, though the state is recovering jobs only about a third as quickly as the nation as a whole, according to Policy Matters Ohio.
Data compiled by the progressive-leaning policy group indicates Ohio’s monthly growth rate over the last six months has averaged 0.14%, compared with 0.40% for the U.S. and 254,000 jobs have been lost during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A survey of households shows 23,000 Ohioans entered the work force and 25,000 people found jobs, Policy Matters Ohio researcher Michael Shields said.
Ohio’s unemployment rate has remained unchanged since July at 5.4%.
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits also fell to a pandemic low last week, another sign that the nation’s job market and economy continue to recover.
Jobless claims dropped to 281,000, lowest since mid-March 2020, the Labor Department said.