COLUMBUS – First-time claims for unemployment benefits in Ohio dropped for the fourth straight week as layoffs slowed and workers continued to find jobs in the state’s recovering employment market.
There were 9,719 initial claims for unemployment benefits filed last week, 5.7% fewer than the week before and the smallest number since Dec. 18, according to data the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services shared with the U.S. Department of Labor Thursday.
The number of continued claims also declined, by 4%, and the total number of claims the agency processed fell to 67,505. The number of total claims has dropped 10.7% since mid-January.
Nationwide, jobless claims fell for the third straight week, to 223,000 after rising for five straight weeks as the omicron variant of the coronavirus spread, disrupting business in many parts of the U.S.
Last week, the Labor Department reported a surprising burst of hiring in January, with employers adding 467,000 jobs.
Ohio employers added 8,800 jobs in December, the fourth straight month of gains, as the state’s unemployment rate fell to 4.5%, higher than the national rate of 3.9%