Ohio Initial Jobless Claims Increase Slightly, Continued Claims Decrease

Ohio saw a slight increase in initial unemployment claims during the week of April 26th through May 2nd, while continued claims decreased.

According to updated data from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Ohioans filed 4,376 initial unemployment claims during the week. That was 145 more than the previous week.

ODJFS says about 897 of those initial claims have been flagged for more stringent identity verification to help prevent fraud.

Continued unemployment claims moved in the opposite direction. Ohioans filed 41,593 continued claims during the week, which was 3,320 fewer than the previous week.

The total number of unemployment claims filed in Ohio from April 26th through May 2nd was 45,969.

Ohio’s unemployment rate in March was 4.1 percent, compared to the national unemployment rate of 4.3 percent. Ohio’s labor force participation rate was 62.1 percent in March, compared to the national rate of 61.9 percent.

ODJFS says job seekers can use OhioMeansJobs.com or contact a local OhioMeansJobs center for help finding job openings, building resumes, taking career assessments, and practicing interviews.

The agency is also encouraging people to file unemployment claims online at unemployment.ohio.gov.

Anyone who believes their identity was used to file a fraudulent unemployment claim should report it through unemployment.ohio.gov by selecting “Report ID Theft/Fraud,” or by calling 833 658 0394.