Ohio Initial Jobless Claims Increase, Continued Claims Drop

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services says Ohioans filed 5,654 initial unemployment claims during the week of May 10th through May 16th, 2026.

That is 937 more initial claims than the previous week.

ODJFS says approximately 933 of those initial claims have been flagged for more stringent identity verification to help make sure they are not fraudulent.

Continued unemployment claims dropped during the same period. Ohioans filed 39,841 continued claims, which is 791 fewer than the previous week.

The total number of unemployment claims filed in Ohio from May 10th through May 16th was 45,495.

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, while the national labor force participation rate was 61.9 percent.

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

Individuals filing for unemployment are encouraged to file online at unemployment.ohio.gov.