Audit: Ohio unemployment system paid more than $3.8 billion because of fraud, errors during coronavirus crisis

Unemployment fraud website

A new audit from State Auditor Keith Faber's office has found that more than $3.8 billion in unemployment benefits were wrongly paid by Ohio, either because of fraud or by mistake. The audit also found that hundreds of thousands of claims were processed in the names of dead people or Ohioans in prison. (Ohio Department of Job and Family Services)

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio’s unemployment system has paid out more than $3.8 billion by mistake or because of fraud between April 2020 and the end of last June, according to a new report from State Auditor Keith Faber’s office.

The audit, released Thursday, provides new details about the massive amount of state and federal money paid to people who didn’t qualify for the money, as well as failures and problems within the state’s unemployment system that paid out billions. However, Faber, a Columbus Republican, says the situation is improving.

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