COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Officials say nearly 700,000 people in Ohio filed for unemployment in the last three weeks as the coronavirus pandemic shakes the economy.
Ohio's human services agency says that's nearly double the claims filed in all of 2019. More than 226,000 claims were filed for the week ending April 4.
Ohio has paid more than $124 million to more than 195,000 people who have filed unemployment claims.
Lt. Gov. Jon Husted notes that employers such as grocery stores are looking for more than 33,000 new workers.
Health officials say Ohio has more than 5,500 confirmed cases of the virus, and 213 people have died.
