Ohio Looking To Private Sector To Fix Unemployment System

Thousands of Ohioans are still struggling to file unemployment claims through a slow and unresponsive state system. Gov. Mike DeWine says the state is addressing the issue with a complete overhaul.

The high number of people in Ohio filing for unemployment through the pandemic, the extension of unemployment benefits and the additional federal benefits have put a strain on the state's already outdated system.

"It is abundantly clear the state government cannot fix this the way I want it fixed. And so we're going out into the private sector," DeWine said. "We've already had several meetings. We'll have something to announce shortly. We're going to bring some people in from the private sector, quite candidly, to run the unemployment section."

The move comes as the state prepares to open filings for renewed federal pandemic unemployment assistance.

The state has struggled to keep up with the influx of unemployment compensation filings since the beginning of the pandemic early last year and has started transitioning to a cloud-based system.