Ohio Unemployment Insurance Program

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS), Office of Unemployment Insurance Operations is dedicated to helping unemployed workers in times of need. Unemployment Insurance is not a form of welfare—it is an insurance program funded by monies in the form of a payroll tax paid for by employers throughout the state of Ohio. Your employer pays a tax, which is determined via a percentage of the wages you earn. The funds go into an Unemployment trust that you can draw from if you become separated from employment through no fault of your own, and meet all of the qualification requirements.

As an Ohio worker, you do not pay any unemployment insurance taxes out of your wages. It is the obligation of your employer to report all of your wages to the ODJFS on a quarterly basis. Benefits claimed are considered taxable income; it is your responsibility to report benefit amounts on your Federal Income Tax Return.