Ohio initial unemployment claims rise, continued claims decline

COLUMBUS — The number of Ohioans filing first-time unemployment claims increased last week, while continued claims declined.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported that 4,703 initial unemployment claims were filed during the week ending October 3. That was an increase of 377 from the previous week.

Approximately 758 initial claims were flagged for additional identity verification to ensure they were not fraudulent.

Ohioans also filed 33,682 continued unemployment claims, a decrease of 224 from the previous week. Altogether, the state received 38,385 claims during the reporting period.

Ohio’s unemployment rate stood at 3.3 percent in August, compared with the national rate of 4.1 percent. Ohio’s labor-force participation rate was 61.3 percent, slightly below the national rate of 61.6 percent.

People looking for work, résumé assistance or career training can receive help through OhioMeansJobs centers across the state. Unemployment claims can be filed through the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services website.