Jobless claims in Ohio through the first week of April have nearly doubled what was filed during all of 2019, WKRC reported.
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services said 226,007 jobless claims were filed for the week ending April 4. That is the second straight week that more than 200,000 new claims were filed in the state.
In 2019, 364,603 initial jobless claims were filed during the entire year, the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services said.
Last week, The Ohio Star reported that another 272,117 people claimed unemployment benefits. The week before that, 196,297 people filed for unemployment benefits.
Compared to the previous week, new unemployment claims in Ohio nearly doubled.
Another 6.6 million U.S. workers filed for unemployment compensation last week, The Star reported Thursday. The new figure pushed the three-week total to more than 16 million workers looking for financial assistance, with millions more laid-off employees expected to file claims in the coming weeks as businesses large and small shut their operations or severely limit them.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s actions in shutting down the state likely mean the numbers will not get better soon.
DeWine announced last week he would extend the “Stay-at-Home” Order until May 1. The original order was set to expire on Monday, April 6, The Star reported.
Expansions to his order include direction that travelers arriving to Ohio should self-quarantine for 14 days, in most cases.
DeWine has been one of the most aggressive governors in combating the Chinese virus. In March, the governor closed down schools, banned mass gatherings, shut down restaurants and delayed Ohio’s presidential primary.
Even as the private sector in Ohio is feeling the burn of DeWine’s closure mandates, state workers are faring better, The Star reported.
The governor ordered state departments to cut up to 20 percent of their budgets and implement a hiring freeze. The governor halted pay increases and promotions for state of Ohio unclassified and exempt staff.
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Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes.
Photo “Workers in Pain, We’re Not to Blame Sign” by AFL-CIO America’s Unions. CC BY 2.0.
