News and Analysis
Nearly 1.2 Initial Jobless Claims Filed Since Mid-March
May 15, 2020The downward trend in new unemployment claims continued last week, with 51,125 Ohioans filing initial requests for benefits, according to the Department of Job and Family Services. The number of initial claims filed over the last eight weeks sits at 1.17 million, as more than $2.4 billion in payments has been sent to approximately 587,000 residents over the period. 5/14/2020
Making America Festival Cancelled; Creators Wanted Tour Delayed
May 8, 2020The National Association of Manufacturers and The Manufacturing Institute have announced changes to the Creators Wanted workforce campaign and its 2020 schedule. Due to the pandemic, the Making America Festival, which was set to be held in Cincinnati in September, has been cancelled. Also, the Creators Wanted tour will not begin until October 2020 or later, as planners are expanding the campaign’s digital efforts. Further announcements regarding the tour are expected on or before July 1, 2020. 5/5/2020
McKinsey: More Than 2M Ohio Jobs ‘Vulnerable’
May 8, 2020McKinsey & Company estimates that more than two million Ohio jobs are vulnerable (a term encompassing permanent layoffs, temporary furloughs, and reductions in hours and pay) during the COVID-19 crisis. Roughly 311,000 of those jobs are in manufacturing, according to the firm’s analysis. 4/5/2020
In Just Seven Weeks, Ohio Has Spent $1.9B on Unemployment Benefits
May 8, 2020More than 61,000 Ohioans filed initial claims for unemployment compensation last week, according to the Department of Job and Family Services. Over the past seven weeks, 1,118,569 Ohioans have filed first-time claims, and more than $1.9 billion have been withdrawn from Ohio’s employer-funded unemployment insurance fund. 5/7/2020
Webinar: Veterans as a Hiring Focus
May 8, 2020On Wednesday, May 20, from 10-11 a.m. (ET), the OMA will host a webinar entitled “The Value of Veterans in Your Talent Pipeline.” This one-hour event will feature our partners from the Ohio Department of Veterans Services as they spotlight the agency’s veterans’ workforce program. For details, click here. 5/7/2020
On-Demand Webinar: Learn About the FAME Earn-and-Learn Model
May 1, 2020In this recorded OMA webinar (held April 29), you can learn about how Raise the Bar Hancock County has adapted features of the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME) model — a nationally recognized work-and-learn training program that helps fill critical manufacturing positions among Findlay-area manufacturers. The webinar features Ohio and national workforce experts. 4/30/2020
Nearly $1.5B Paid in Ohio Unemployment Benefits Since Mid-March
May 1, 2020For the week ending April 25, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) reported 92,920 initial jobless claims to the U.S. Dept. of Labor. The number of initial jobless claims filed in Ohio over the last six weeks has now surpassed 1 million (1,057,486). And over the last six weeks, ODJFS has distributed nearly $1.5 billion in unemployment payments.
Meanwhile, the nation’s six-week jobless total has now topped 30 million, which is roughly 18.4% of the working-age population. The U.S. Chamber has produced this interactive map to show how quickly unemployment claims have risen in every state. 4/30/2020
Now Taking Nominations for STEM Excellence Awards
May 1, 2020The Ohio STEM Learning Network has opened nominations for its Excellence in STEM Awards. If you know an outstanding STEM teacher, an amazing leader within a district, or an individual that advocates for STEM — especially as applied to manufacturing workforce — you can nominate that individual here. 4/29/2020
Workforce Development Webinar Set for April 29
April 24, 2020On Wednesday, April 29, from 10-11 a.m. (ET), the OMA will host a webinar titled “Best Practices in Workforce Development Models: What Can We Learn From the FAME Model?” Register here.
This webinar will explore how Raise the Bar Hancock County — an OMA-endorsed regional sector partnership — has adapted features of the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME) model, a nationally recognized earn-and-learn training program.
This is a good opportunity to prepare for the post-COVID-19 economic recovery, which will again challenge manufacturers to close the skills gap. 4/23/2020
Ohio’s First-Time Unemployment Filings Near 1 Million After Five Weeks
April 24, 2020More than 109,000 Ohioans filed initial claims for unemployment compensation last week. The number of initial claims filed over the past five weeks now sits at 964,566.
Over the five-week period, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services has sent more than $926 million in unemployment benefits to more than 376,000 Ohioans.
Nationwide, new jobless claims last week totaled 4.427 million. Over the past five weeks, 26.45 million Americans have filed for unemployment. 4/23/2020