Fraud Drives New Spike in Ohio Jobless Claims, Officials Say (1)

Ohio labor officials say a major spike in jobless claims in the first week of February is due largely to a new wave of unemployment fraud.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services received 140,444 initial jobless claims for the week ending Feb. 6, an increase of 194% over the prior week, according to a state report released Thursday. The state has flagged 44,000 of those claims as potentially fraudulent, and it expects to find even more bogus filings as it reviews others.

“We have international gangsters who are moving in and preying on this situation,” Gov. Mike ...