Ohio jobless claims jump to highest since mid-August

The rise from the week before, a 10.3% jump, came as 34,715 people were still claiming benefits statewide for the week ending September 12, 2026, and the insured unemployment rate held at 0.73% DOL +1. Claims are still far below where this data stretch started. The count begins in the week ending October 5, 2024, when Ohio logged 9,767 initial claims DOL. This week's total is 54.6% lower than that first count DOL.

The highest point came in the week ending January 11, 2025, at 13,903 claims, and the lowest came in the week ending August 29, 2026, at 3,859 DOL +1. At 4,433, this week's total remains below the average of 6,253.58 recorded over that stretch DOL. Claims had eased to 4,019 in the week ending September 12, 2026, before climbing 414 to this week's level DOL +1.

Claims kept moving after this count, easing to 4,326 in the week ending September 26, then rising to 4,703 the week after that DOL +1. The week ending October 10 brought a sharp jump to 8,621 claims, before falling back to 4,138 in the week ending October 17 DOL +1.

• Initial claims, week ending September 19, 2026: 4,433 DOL
• Change from the week before: up 414, a 10.3% rise DOL +1
• Continued weeks claimed, week ending September 12, 2026: 34,715 DOL
• Insured unemployment rate: 0.73% DOL
• Covered employment: 5,448,891 DOL