This week, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) provided updated data on unemployment claims filed in Ohio the week of Aug. 18-24. These statistics were shared with the U.S. Department of Labor.

Ohioans filed 4,799 initial unemployment claims last week, which was 146 fewer than the previous week. Approximately 703 of those have been flagged for more stringent identity verification, to ensure they are not fraudulent.

Ohioans filed 41,563 continued unemployment claims last week, which was 1,460 fewer than the previous week.

The total number of claims filed from Aug. 18-24 was 46,362.

Ohio’s unemployment rate in July was 4.5%. The national unemployment rate in July was 4.3%. Ohio’s labor force participation rate in July was 62.3%. The national labor force participation rate in July was 62.7%.

ODJFS works in partnership with local workforce development boards and local staff to provide employment and training services at 88 OhioMeansJobs centers throughout the state. Individuals can visit OhioMeansJobs.com or contact their local OhioMeansJobs center to find and apply for job openings, take skill and career interest assessments, create or improve their resumes, and practice interviewing.

Employers can contact their nearest OhioMeansJobs center to get help finding skilled candidates for jobs, screening resumes, learning about federally funded tax credits or training programs, and more.

To find contact information for your nearest OhioMeansJobs center, visit OhioMeansJobs.com and select “FIND A JOB CENTER” at the bottom of the page.