Ohio Unemployment News: Initial Jobless Claims Fall, But Continued Claims Increase

Ohio Unemployment News: Initial Jobless Claims Fall, But Continued Claims Increase

Ohio Unemployment Claims Overview

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services is reporting mixed results in the unemployment trends for the week of September 22 to September 28. Initial unemployment claims fell, but continued claims rose

Initial Jobless Claims: -19k To +372k

Over that time, the number of initial unemployment claims dropped by 364 to 5,211 in Ohio. The decrease in claims could signal a modest recovery for the state’s job market. On the opposite end, a total 671 claims were marked for identity validation in order to prevent fraud.

Continuing unemployment claims rise

Conversely, continuing unemployment claims increased by 714 to a total of 39,525. That indicates a higher share of the population is still out of work and dependent on handouts.

That week, 44,736 claims came from Ohio.

Ohio Unemployment and Workforce Data

As of August 2024, Ohio has a unemployment rate of 4.5%, slightly above the national average of 4.2%. Ohio’s labor force participation rate was 62.3%, slightly below the national rate of 62.7%. The data clearly signal more, post-recession-oriented challenges within Ohio’s labor market as the state continues its full recovery from impact of the economic events of recent years.

Conclusion

We continue to track the job market here in Ohio and while recent numbers on initial unemployment claims have improved, many workers are still facing uncertainty. Still, the growth in continued claims shows that many residents continue to have difficulty finding work. The state unemployment rate continues to be higher than the national average and its labor force participation is a little below that of the nation.