COLUMBUS, Ohio - Up to 20 weeks of Extended Benefits will be available to eligible Ohioans who exhaust both the maximum 26 weeks of regular unemployment benefits and 13 weeks of Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services has announced that the additional weeks are possible because Ohio's insured unemployment rate exceeded a minimum threshold. The insured unemployment rate is a measure of the number of people receiving unemployment benefits as a percentage of the labor force.

"We will soon begin notifying individuals who may qualify for this additional assistance to instruct them how to apply," said ODJFS Director Kimberly Hall. "Although high unemployment rates are never welcome news, we are happy that we can offer this extra support for Ohioans who are unemployed through no fault of their own and who are having difficulty finding work."

The federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act created three new unemployment programs.

Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation provides an additional $600 per week through July 25 to existing benefit amounts for those in multiple programs, including regular unemployment benefits, PUA, Trade benefits, and SharedWork Ohio benefits.

Those who exhaust their regular unemployment benefits may qualify for Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, which provides up to 13 weeks of additional benefits for Ohioans who exhaust their maximum 26 weeks of regular unemployment benefits on or after July 1, 2019. This program is available through December 26, 2020.

People who run out of Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation may be eligible for Extended Benefits.

If they exhaust all programs, they are potentially eligible form Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, which provides up to 39 weeks of benefits to many who historically have not qualified for unemployment benefits, such as self-employed workers, 1099 tax filers, part-time workers, and those who lack sufficient work history.

 No additional extended benefits are available to those who exhaust PUA, which will be in effect through December 26, 2020.

For more information, visit unemployment.ohio.gov/expandedeligibility.