COLUMBUS – The number of Ohioans filing first-time claims for unemployment benefits increased last week after seven straight weeks of declines, indicating that employers continue to lay off workers and businesses close despite Gov. Mike DeWine’s attempts to gradually reopening the state’s economy.
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported 35,430 initial jobless claims to the U.S. Dept. of Labor for the week ending June 6, an increase from the 34, 575 reported for the week ending May 30.
ODJFS urges individuals to file their claims online, if possible.
Those without internet access can call 1-877-644-6562 (OHIO-JOB) from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. weekdays, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays and from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Sundays
It is not clear if any of the increase in the number of newly unemployed Ohioans was the result of destructive protests over the death of George Floyd, states of emergency and curfews which left some businesses damaged and forced others to reduce their hours
The 1.33 million initial jobless claims filed in Ohio over the last 12 weeks is more than the combined total of all claims filed in the last three years combined.
Nearly 94% of the claims have been processed and the agency has distributed more than $3.8 billion in unemployment compensation payments to more than 686,000 claimants.
The state has also issued more than $1.5 billion in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance payments to more than 204,000 claimants through a federal program providing benefits to self-employed workers and others who traditionally do not qualify for benefits.
The number of initial claims had been declining steadily since March and April amid a wave of closings of non-essential businesses ordered by DeWine and health director Dr. Amy Acton to control the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
The April jobless rate of 16.8% was the highest since the state’s current record keeping system was developed almost 50 years ago.
About 1.5 million laid-off workers applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week, evidence that many Americans are still losing their jobs even as the economy appears to be slowly recovering with more businesses partially reopening.
The latest figure from the Labor Department marked the 10th straight weekly decline in applications.