Ohio initial jobless claims rise by nearly 500 in latest weekly report

COLUMBUS - Ohioans filed more first time unemployment claims last week, according to new numbers released by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

ODJFS says 5,377 initial unemployment claims were filed in Ohio during the week of April 12 through April 18. That was 494 more than the previous week.

The agency says about 985 of those initial claims were flagged for stricter identity verification to help make sure they were not fraudulent.

Meanwhile, continued unemployment claims fell last week. ODJFS says Ohioans filed 47,250 continued claims, down 3,373 from the week before.

In all, the total number of unemployment claims filed in Ohio last week was 52,627.

The state says Ohio’s unemployment rate in February was 4.2 percent, compared to the national rate of 4.4 percent. Ohio’s labor force participation rate in February was 62.2 percent, slightly above the national rate of 62 percent.

ODJFS says job seekers can find help through OhioMeansJobs Centers across the state, including assistance with job searches, resumes, career assessments, and interview preparation.

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