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John Glenn College of Public Affairs
Ohio Education Research Center
COVID-19: Impacts on Workforce and Education
The COVID-19 crisis has had an unprecedented impact upon the education and workforce systems in Ohio and the nation. The Ohio Education Research Center is conducting research and analyses to document and measure those impacts.
Ohio Experienced the Largest Single One Month Increase in Unemployment Claims Ever in March 2020
April 12, 2020
Ohio experienced a dramatic increase in unemployment claims in 2020. In March of 2019 there were 16,496 new claims. In comparison in March 2020 there were approximately 285,000 new claims. The one month total is the highest it has ever been.
Ohio’s Unemployment Impacts Every Region, County and Zip Code
April 13, 2020
Unemployment affects every community in Ohio. Each of Ohio’s 88 counties saw a massive increase in weekly unemployment claims since March 15 2020.¹ While urban communities such as Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland and Toledo experienced the most rapid increases in claims, smaller regional towns and cities saw major increases. The following map provides a visual representation of claims filed in January - March 2020 in comparison with the same period in 2019.
The Initial Impact of Unemployment Claims Surge on Industries in Ohio
April 14, 2020
The most recent surge in unemployment claims has impacted individuals differently depending on their industry of employment. For industries that are regionally concentrated, the impact of job losses varies across the state. Job losses in Accommodation and Food Services, for instance, are relatively evenly spread across Ohio. In contrast, health care employment has surged in some areas as layoffs have dramatically increased in other locations.
April Was the Cruelest Month for Unemployment Ever in Ohio History
May 22, 2020
Between January 1 and April 25, 1.1 million people applied for unemployment benefits in Ohio. The 1.1 million people who are newly unemployed in Ohio are approximately equal to the entire population of Franklin or Cuyahoga County. This turn of events is dramatic and rapid. Looking at a single week, April 25, 2020, there were 776,000 people filing continuing claims and 92,920 people filing initial claims. These represent increases of more than 1500% from the same week in 2019.
You can visit the OERC's UI Claims Dashboard to see all the UI claims memos to date.