While the number of initial and continued unemployment claims in Ohio declined, the state’s unemployment rate was the sixth-highest in April.
Including the District of Columbia, Ohio stands at the seventh highest.
According to numbers from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services shared with the U.S. Department of Labor, Ohioans submitted 5,314 initial unemployment claims for the week of May 11 through May 17, 189 fewer than the previous week.
However, officials said that 748 claims have been flagged for “more stringent identity verification” to confirm they are legitimate and not fraudulent.
“The civilian labor force has increased at about the same rate as the number of unemployed workers, suggesting that while more Ohioans are entering the job market, they are not all securing employment,” Heather Smith, a researcher at Policy Matters Ohio, said in a written statement to News 5 in Cleveland. “This raises questions around the reported increases in jobs across service-providing industries – why aren’t Ohioans getting hired?
“Legislators ought to pay attention to the growing unemployment rate, given its steady increase over the last five months,” Smith added, according to the report. “The last time we saw the unemployment rate in Ohio decrease was between September and October – prior to the November election.”
Additionally, Ohioans filed 48,143 continued unemployment claims for the week of May 11 through May 17. That total was 830 fewer than a week earlier.
In total, 53,457 claims were filed for the week.
Overall, Ohio’s April unemployment rate stood at 4.9%, a slight increase from 4.8% in March. According to state numbers, nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased by 22,200 during the month, from a revised total of nearly 5.7 million in March to more than 5.7 million in April.
The Buckeye State’s rate was higher than the national unemployment rate of 4.2%, unchanged from March and an increase from the April 2024 rate of 3.9%.
The Buckeye State’s labor force participation rate in April was 62.7%, an increase from 62.6% in March and up from 62.3% in April 2024. The rate was also higher than the national labor force participation of 62.6%, which increased from 62.5% in March and decreased from 62.7% in April 2024.
“With April’s report, Ohio’s private sector employment is averaging 15,000 new jobs a month, indicating that businesses intend to hire at a strong clip in 2025,” The Buckeye Institute said in an analysis of the numbers.
“Ohio policymakers have adopted strong pro-growth reforms—most recently reforms to the state’s energy market—which will keep Ohio’s job market competitive nationally and globally,” the think tank added. “By cutting regulations on energy infrastructure, ending costly, uncompetitive subsidies, and incentivizing new energy development and production, House Bill 15 will lure even more advanced manufacturing plants and technology companies to the Buckeye State, creating more jobs for Ohio workers.”
Critics note that state officials have spent billions of dollars on “economic growth” and jobs programs, including JobsOhio. The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services partners with local authorities and workforce boards on employment and training services at 88 OhioMeansJobs Centers statewide.
However, questions linger about JobsOhio’s return on investment. Adding to the controversy, the Ohio Controlling Board approved a deal to extend a private nonprofit corporation’s lease of state liquor profits in February.
The board gave the green light to a 15-year extension of a “franchise and transfer agreement amendment” with JobsOhio and the JobsOhio Beverage System. The Ohio Office of Budget and Management, in coordination with the Ohio Department of Commerce, asked the Controlling Board to approve the amendment.
With the deal, the extended contract runs through Feb. 1, 2053.
