News
Ohio’s Unemployment Rate Higher Than The National Average
By: Karen Kasler | Statehouse News Bureau
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Ohio’s unemployment rate nearly tripled in just a month and set a record as COVID-19 closures and the state’s stay at home order fully hit economic activity.
April’s jobless rate of 16.8 percent is the highest ever recorded for Ohio, up a full 11 points since March. Ohio Department of Job and Family Services Director Kimberly Hall says she knows there have been problems, but the system’s workload went up 2600 percent when the first closures were ordered.
“Compared of other states of our size of claims, we’re falling right in line. I do know that states that have caseloads similar to ours, there are some that are struggling, unfortunately, more than we are even with our antiquated system.”
957,000 Ohioans were listed as unemployed in April. More than 1.2 million people have filed jobless claims since mid-March, along with 618,000 who don’t typically qualify but are getting pandemic unemployment assistance from the federal government