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Record 468,414 jobless claims filed in Ohio in last 2 weeks, compared to 364,603 for all of 2019

Ohio Department of Job and Family Services
Posted at 9:32 AM, Apr 02, 2020
and last updated 2020-04-02 09:33:20-04

CLEVELAND — In an update on unemployment numbers in the state, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) said 272,117 Ohioans filed unemployment claims last week, setting a record for the second straight week.

In the last two weeks, ODJFS said the number of claims filed has reached 468,414.

To put the number into perspective, the department received 364,603 unemployment claims during the entire year in 2019.

Over the last two weeks, $45 million in compensation payments have been paid to more than 108,000 residents.

The department recognizes the trouble with processing times as a record number of residents file for unemployment.

More than 300 ODJFS employees have been reassigned to assist with the call volume to increase service capabilities.

Ohio LT. Gov. Jon Husted said he has been in communication with the CIO and technology leadership of the department, as well as the private sector vendors who support the system. They assured Husted that the capacity of the website has been increased 20 times normal.

Husted said the system is complicated, and employees at the call center must be trained to comply with rules and regulations outlined in state and federal law.

RELATED: More than 6 million unemployment claims were made last week, Labor Department says