When Gov.

Wednesday, October 03, 2001

When Gov. Bob Taft announced Monday 56 walk-in unemployment claims offices in the state will close and Ohio will lean toward a file-by-phone process, Department of Job and Family Services leaders began biting their nails.

Luckily, Lawrence County’s office in Ironton will be one of just a few unemployment claims offices statewide that will remain open.

Tuesday, the local office found out officially that it had been chosen as one of eight counties to lead a pilot program shifting all claims to the processing centers.

This spells only good news for the county.

First, and foremost, people who work at the unemployment office won’t lose their jobs. With the county’s unemployment rate on the ascend we cannot afford to lose jobs – no matter how few. More staffers will likely join the Lawrence County workers at the center – including those from the Scioto County unemployment claims office.

Secondly, the office will now not only be handling local claims, but also claims from all around Ohio. This will give the county a leg up on other counties should the state decide to decentralize other government entities.

The Lawrence County Commission deserves a pat on the back for pushing for the local office to become a processing center. When it became imminent the state would close many of the unemployment claims offices around Ohio, commissioners wrote a letter requesting Lawrence County be home to one of the centers – and now that request has been granted.

As the state looks to cut costs – often times at the expense of the small counties – it’s refreshing to know it has faith in Lawrence County’s ability to take on such a venture.