In his late February State of the State address, Gov. John Kasich described the policy priorities he has for 2014, the specifics of which were unveiled in his Mid-Biennium Review. While much of the attention and focus has been on the governor’s proposed tax reforms and his workforce system changes, the MBR contains a variety of other important policy and program changes. Among these are some recommended changes to Ohio’s unemployment compensation system. These reforms will reduce compliance costs for businesses and directly improve employment opportunities for out-of-work Ohioan’s.

A notable, and long overdue, change requires everyone to apply for unemployment and file weekly claims online. Moving this process online will free up resources that the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services can put to better use, such as work search efforts. It also improves the integrity of the system by speeding up processes and reducing errors because a larger part of the system will now be automated. This an especially important policy change because it aptly represents the technology knowledge and skills companies desire in employees. The employment prospects for America’s future workforce depends on their online knowledge. Getting more Ohioans connect online will bring them one step closer to finding and landing a job.

We will continue to work with the legislature and the administration on these reforms to ensure that Ohio employers have the best skilled Ohio employees to fill open positions and that Ohio continues to improve its business climate.