Initial jobless claims rise slightly as recovery continues

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Initial jobless claims rose slightly in the last week, bucking a trend that had seen the numbers slowly track downward, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services said Thursday.

For the week ending June 20, the agency reported 34,553 claims to the U.S. Department of Labor, compared with 32,788 claims last week.

Although weekly initial claims filings are much lower than at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, when the economy cratered thanks to the state shut-down orders, the 7-day claims still remain far higher than before the coronavirus.

However, continued jobless claims went down for the eighth week in a row, a sign the state believes people are going back to work, Job and Family Services spokesman Bret Crow said Thursday.

Meanwhile the state continues to monitor increases in the number of positive coronavirus cases. On Wednesday, the state’s single-day COVID-19 case total jumped to 632, part of a trend of increasing number of positive tests over the past few days.

The Health Department is now reporting nearly 46,800 confirmed or probable cases and 2,755 confirmed or probable deaths.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, first lady Fran DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted all tested negative for the coronavirus, the governor said Wednesday.

Gov. DeWine announced the results on Twitter a day after the three were tested during a live streaming event Tuesday as part of the governor’s biweekly news conference on pandemic updates. Medical personnel with the Ohio National Guard wearing face shields, masks and gowns administered the tests.

Husted said in a tweet that the “test was easy, much easier than my college chemistry classes. And I passed this one!”

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