: Ohio Initial Jobless Claims Rise by More Than 500 in Latest Weekly Report

OHIO — The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services says 5,372 initial unemployment claims were filed in the state during the week of March 29th through April 4th, an increase of 514 from the previous week.

The agency says about 861 of those new claims were flagged for stricter identity verification to help ensure they were not fraudulent.

ODJFS also reported 52,335 continued unemployment claims last week, down 3,510 from the week before. That brought the total number of unemployment claims filed in Ohio during the reporting period to 57,707.

The agency says Ohio’s unemployment rate in January stood at 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 Ohioans looking for work can visit OhioMeansJobs.com or contact their local OhioMeansJobs center for help with job searches, resumes, assessments, and interview preparation. Employers can also use OhioMeansJobs centers for recruiting help, resume screening, and information on tax credits and training programs.

The department continues to encourage people to file unemployment claims online through the state website and says anyone who believes their identity has been used to file a fraudulent claim should report it immediately.