Initial Unemployment Claims Up In Ohio, Pandemic Benefits Expire

OHIO — As pandemic-related unemployment benefits expired in Ohio, traditional unemployment claims climbed.

Last week, 13,740 first-time traditional unemployment claims were filed in Ohio, 5,558 more than the previous week, according to the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services. Continuing unemployment claims dropped by 2,003 last week.

News of the escalating unemployment claims came days after the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that Gov. Mike DeWine did not have to re-join a federal program providing additional unemployment benefits to the unemployed.

The governor argued the benefits were always meant to be temporary and provided further incentive for Ohioans to not accept whatever work they could find. At the time, he said his decision would further reduce Ohio's 4.7 percent unemployment rate.

Instead, Ohio's unemployment rate climbed to 5.4 percent in July. August data has not yet been released by the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services.

The plaintiffs also claimed the additional benefits helped Ohio workers handle their pandemic burden. DeWine's lawyers dismissed that claim and said it would only strangle the economy.

Additionally, the governor recently decided to use American Rescue Plan funds to pay back a federal loan intended to aid Ohio's unemployment benefits. He said employers should not have to bear the burden caused by the pandemic.

"By repaying this loan in full, we ensure that Ohio businesses won't see increases in their federal unemployment payroll taxes,” DeWine said. “Without this added tax burden, our employers can invest more money into their businesses and hire more staff. I’m grateful that we were able to work with the legislature to use this federal recovery money to avoid further hardship for Ohio’s businesses.”