Editor's note: the video in the player above is from Aug. 25, 2020.
A total of 27,750 Ohioans made initial unemployment claims during the week of Nov. 22-28, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) reported to the U.S. Dept. of Labor on Thursday.
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The 27,750 initial jobless claims are 246,465 fewer -- or about 10 percent -- of the state's peak of initial unemployment claims (274,215) that occurred earlier this year. As a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Ohioans have reported more initial jobless claims (1,933,567) during the past 37 weeks than they did during the past four years combined.
Meanwhile, Ohioans filed 256,776 continued jobless claims over the court of the past week. That marks 519,526 fewer than -- or about 33 percent of -- of the state's peak earlier this year. That figure includes both traditional unemployment claims and claims for extended benefits.
Additionally, 232,259 Ohioans received Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) last week. The ODJFS has distributed more than $7.4 billion in unemployment compensation payments to more than 855,000 Ohioans over the course of the past 37 weeks.