Ohio initial unemployment claims decline during latest reporting week

Ohio reported fewer new unemployment claims during the week ending August 1.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services says Ohioans filed 4,417 initial unemployment claims from July 26 through August 1. That was 638 fewer than the previous week.

Approximately 876 initial claims were flagged for additional identity verification to help determine whether they may be fraudulent.

The state also received 42,267 continued unemployment claims, an increase of 1,028 from the previous reporting period.

A total of 46,684 initial and continued claims were filed statewide during the week.

Ohio’s unemployment rate was 3.6 percent in June, compared with the national rate of 4.2 percent. Ohio’s labor force participation rate was 61.6 percent, slightly above the national rate of 61.5 percent.

Employment and training assistance is available through 88 OhioMeansJobs centers across the state. Services include job searches, career assessments, résumé assistance and interview preparation.

Unemployment claims can be filed online at unemployment.ohio.gov. Anyone who believes their identity was used to file a fraudulent claim can also submit a report through the website or call 833-658-0394.