Ohio Unemployment: More Than 270K Claims Filed In 1 Week

CLEVELAND — During the last week of March, there were 272,000 new unemployment claims filed in Ohio, according to advance data from the U.S. Department of Labor. As the new coronavirus continues to spread, and state officials mandate closures of non-essential businesses, companies are announcing new layoffs around the state.

Nationally, there were 6.6 million unemployment claims filed during the last week of March, double the record number of claims filed the previous week.

After Gov. Mike DeWine ordered certain businesses closed to protect the public, state officials have scrambled to expand unemployment benefits to more Ohioans. In mid-March, the governor issued an executive order giving more flexibility to the state's unemployment program. Under the new guidelines, employees who were laid off because of the virus, or told to self-isolate, qualify for unemployment.

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"These are tough decisions. We're inconveniencing people and making people's lives change — but we've got to save lives. Everything we're doing is to save lives," DeWine said.

One week ago, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said there had been an unprecedented uptick in unemployment claims and the surge has slowed the state's unemployment website and created long wait times for callers. The state's unemployment call centers are now hiring more staffers to handle the volume.

For more information, visit Patch's article on how to file for unemployment in Ohio.

Ohio officials are still waiting for federal guidance on how to roll-out unemployment benefits for contractors, gig workers and the self-employed who have lost business during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Latest layoff announcements in Ohio (from the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services):

• Talbert House, Cincinnati — 50 positions impacted
• Aramark Educational Services, University Heights — 102 positions impacted
• Great Lakes Brewing Company, Cleveland — 116 positions impacted
• Greenville Technology, Greenville, other cities — 540 positions impacted
• General Aluminum Manufacturing, Conneaut — 198 positions impacted