Ohioans still need federal aid
Posted October 29, 2020 in Press Releases
More than 700,000 workers applied for unemployment compensation last week, according to data released today by the U.S. Department of Labor. In Ohio, some 17,531 applied for regular unemployment benefits last week, more than double the number a year earlier. In addition, another 39,502 Ohioans filed for federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, a CARES Act program that provides benefits to those who don’t ordinarily qualify.
As of the week ended October 10, more than 22.6 million Americans made claims for state or federal unemployment support, down nearly half a million compared to the prior week, but 16 times more claims compared to the same week in 2019. Policy Matters Ohio Executive Director Hannah Halbert made the following comments on the data:
“Many Ohioans who have been laid off are eager to get back to work so they can provide for their families and contribute to their communities. Many others are working under dangerous conditions without being paid enough to make ends meet. Yet we’re still waiting on a signal from our leaders in Washington that help is on the way.
“Meanwhile, COVID-19 cases are spiking across the state and nation. Our elected officials can’t have it both ways. They can’t demand businesses, schools and child care providers open up as normal without providing the aid we all need to stay safe and make ends meet.
“Ohioans are resilient. We step up to care for each other during tough times. But record-shattering economic growth isn’t enough to pull us out of a recession this deep and it certainly isn’t trickling down to Main Street. We need the federal government to act. Passing COVID aid should be their first priority.”
For more analysis of the federal response to the pandemic and recession, see also:
- State of Working Ohio 2020: Reset and Unrig
- Congress needs to get back to the table, get the job done
- Senate Republican COVID package falls short
- Experts, officials say Ohio’s cities need relief
- Advocates, experts and physicians call on Senate to boost Medicaid funding in next stimulus
- Expand food assistance and stimulate Ohio’s economy
- Strengthen public higher ed with targeted relief
- Trump’s “lost wages assistance” and Ohio
Download ucnumbers10.29.20.pdf