CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Continued unemployment claims declined for the ninth straight week in Ohio as people return to work after coronavirus shutdowns, according to the state’s latest jobless statistics.
Continued weekly unemployment claims, which represent people who have filed for benefits more than once, have steadily fallen since Ohio lifted its stay-at-home order and other coronavirus restrictions. Ohio reported 443,621 continued unemployment claims for the week ending June 27. That’s 332,681 fewer than the peak of 776,302 for the week ending April 25, according to data from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and U.S. Department of Labor.
Continued claims remain much higher than the weeks leading up to the coronavirus shutdowns, when they hovered around 70,000 per week in February and early March.
Last week’s unemployment report also shows Ohio received 35,623 initial jobless claims, which are filed by people seeking benefits for the first time. That’s a slight increase over the 34,553 new claims filed the previous week.
Across the U.S., states received more than 1.4 million initial unemployment claims for the week ending June 27, according to the Department of Labor.
The ODJFS has distributed more than $4.7 billion in unemployment benefits to more than 728,000 people during the coronavirus crisis. The agency has processed 94 percent of the more than 1 million applications its received, according to a news release.
Ohio also distributed more than $3.4 billion to 378,000 people through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, which the federal government set up for self-employed workers and independent contractors who do not qualify for traditional unemployment benefits.
The state of Ohio has asked the Department of Labor for $3.1 billion in credit to keep its unemployment system afloat as the fallout from the pandemic continues, Gov. Mike DeWine said last month. Ohio borrowed $3.4 billion from the federal government during the Great Recession, and repaid the money in 2016 with $257.7 million in interest.
Before the coronavirus crisis, Ohio’s previous high of 49,321 jobless claims in a single week came during the reporting period ending July 25, 1982. During the Great Recession, jobless claims peaked at 40,829 for the week ending Jan. 10, 2009.
The quickest way to file for benefits is through the ODJFS website. Anyone who is eligible for traditional benefits can apply here, while PUA claimants can apply here. You can also apply by phone by calling toll-free 1-877-644-6562 or TTY 1-614-387-8408. The ODJFS has extended its hours to Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m; Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
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July 02, 2020 at 09:50PM
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Continued unemployment claims continue to decline in Ohio after peaking during coronavirus shutdowns - cleveland.com
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