Feb 5, 2021
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Gov. Mike DeWine announced Thursday that Ohio banks and insurance companies have agreed to loan experts to the state human services agency to address problems with the jobless claims system.
The salaries of the 16 individuals in the public-private partnership will be covered by their employers.
Over the past 45 weeks, the state’s human services agency has distributed more than $8 billion in unemployment compensation payments to more than 908,000 Ohioans. But the system has also been plagued by delays and complaints from people on the phone for hours, unable to get help.
The 3.6 million unemployment claims filed during the pandemic are more than filed during the recessions of 1991, 2002 and 2009 combined, said Kimberly Henderson, director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.