Ohio residents applying for unemployment benefits after December 6 will be required to meet work-search requirements, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) announced on Wednesday.
Although the work-search requirement has been in effect “for decades,” it had been waived starting March 16 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the department said. Individuals who are quarantined or isolated by “order of a medical professional, local health authority or employer” are exempted from the requirement.
“This will apply to new claims only, and we are providing as much flexibility as possible to claimants,” said ODJFS Director Kimberly Hall in a Wednesday statement. “In addition, it’s important to remember that work-search activities can be conducted virtually – and they should be conducted virtually, to the extent that this is possible, given the current high numbers of COVID-19 cases.”
Work-search requirements can be met by applying to job postings, posting a resume on OhioMeansJobs.com, or by being a member in good standing with a union hiring hall. It can also be met by attending all classes and “making satisfactory progress” in approved school or a training program, ODJFS said.
Ohio saw 27,201 unemployment insurance claims for the week ending November 28, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday. That figure is a nearly 3,000 drop from the previous week.
More than 713,000 people filed for unemployment insurance in the United States during the week ending November 28, down more than 122,000 from the week before.
The department also directed residents to OhioMeansJobs.com, which it said posts job openings daily, “more than half” of which pay upwards of $50,000 per year.
For more information about unemployment benefits, go to unemployment.ohio.gov.
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Jordyn Pair is a reporter with The Ohio Star. Follow her on Twitter at @JordynPair.
