Ohio Initial Jobless Claims Fall by Nearly 500 in Latest Weekly Report

OHIO — The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services says initial unemployment claims moved lower during the week of April 5th through April 11th.

According to the state, Ohioans filed 4,883 initial unemployment claims during the latest reporting week. That was 489 fewer than the week before.

The agency also reported 50,623 continued unemployment claims, down by 1,712 from the previous week.

In all, ODJFS says 55,506 total unemployment claims were filed in Ohio during the week.

The state says about 988 of the new claims were flagged for stricter identity verification to help guard against fraud.

Ohio’s unemployment rate in January was 4.3 percent, matching the national unemployment rate. Ohio’s labor force participation rate was 62.2 percent, slightly above the national rate of 62.1 percent.

ODJFS says OhioMeansJobs centers across the state continue to offer help for both job seekers and employers. Individuals can get assistance with job searches, resumes, assessments, and interview preparation, while employers can receive help with recruiting, resume screening, and training resources.

The department is encouraging people to file unemployment claims online when possible and says anyone who believes their identity was used to file a fraudulent claim should report it immediately through the state unemployment website or by phone.