It was the first bold step that allows the State of Ohio to leverage resources, reduce duplication, and streamline services to employers, unemployed workers, first-time job seekers, and those seeking new opportunities. The July 2000, merger of the agencies laid the foundation to help Ohio families achieve independence.

As requested by the Ohio General Assembly, the following report outlines ODJFS plan to transition Ohio's unemployment system from its current 60 facilities to a One Stop System and 100 percent filing for unemployment benefits by phone.

Once customers can efficiently and effectively file their claims by phone, they will save the time and hassle of traveling to a local office. Instead, all future services will be conveniently consolidated in a One-Stop near them. Consequently, ODJFS will be required to transition its local service delivery and filing system to a claims processing system. This report outlines the new delivery of services; defines the new staffing levels and service locations; projects the initial and the long-term operational costs of administering unemployment in Ohio; and describes the six pilot transition programs.

The transition plan outlined in this report will utilize 1,017 full-time staff in 22 locations to provide unemployment compensation, job matching, and veterans services in Ohio. By consolidating resources, streamlining processes and partnering with Ohio's 97 local One-Stops, the Department will maintain an appropriate staffing level, reduce facility costs, and improve service to customers. It is estimated that this transition will save Ohio businesses and taxpayers more than $17 million a year in personnel and facility costs. The savings are calculated by comparing the fiscal year 1999 (FY99) pre-merger costs to the projected costs of the new system in fiscal year 2004 (FY04). The $17 million represents the additional amount that would have been expended by OBES in FY04 had no action been taken to merge the agency and streamline its operations.

The plan also outlines the Department's six pilot transition sites. In August, the Department sent a letter to each of the 88 counties asking if they were interested in participating as a pilot county for the transition of employment services from local ODJFS Offices to One-Stops. Each county was asked to provide a letter to the Department by September 4, 2001, expressing interest in participating. The Department received 29 letters of interest, encompassing 32 counties. The pilots will enable ODJFS to gauge the potential difficulties of transitioning to 100 percent filing by phone and One-Stops. As part of the transition, employment and veterans services personnel will be located in the One-Stops to support the efforts of the local system.

Most importantly, this transition plan frees up the Department's most valuable resource - its staff. By automating routine tasks and streamlining claims processing, Department staff will be available to assist the customer in a more personal and direct way. The consolidation of ODJFS Local Offices also enables the Department to leverage even more resources by merging other facilities, such as training centers and county support offices into more cost-effective sites.