Republicans in Ohio proposed a bill that would create an online registry for employers to report no-show applicants who miss scheduled job interviews.
The bill, proposed and backed by seven Republicans in the Ohio House of Representatives, would require the Department of Job and Family Services to have “an online process” to document the absentee applicants.
However, a similar system for reporting the absenteeism already exists, the ODJFS said in a statement to NBC4.
Still, Rep. Brian Lorenz, who co-sponsored the bill, insists that his proposal will help protect employers — and weed out those taking advantage of state unemployment services.
“If you’re collecting unemployment, you should be actively looking for work. Period. HB 395 isn’t controversial—it’s common sense. Wasting employers’ time and taxpayer dollars helps no one. Time to bring accountability back to the system,” Lorenz wrote on X.
It’s unclear who would be able to access the registry or if it would work like a public shame list.
The ODJFS also oversees the state’s Office of Unemployment Insurance Operations, according to its website.
Ohio ranks 44th in the country for unemployment with roughly 4.9% of the population without a job, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Meigs County, roughly 90 miles outside of Columbus, has a 7.2% unemployment rate — the highest in the state, according to the ODJFS.
Critics argue the bill could conflict with existing legislation and unjustly penalize well-meaning job seekers, even though Lorenz insisted he’s not trying to “black list” anyone.
One law in Ohio already prevents people from receiving unemployment benefits if they purposefully reject job offers without a good reason.
The proposed bill also operates under the assumption that those who miss interviews are unemployed vagabonds, when a variety of conflicts can arise, ranging from bad traffic to personal emergency situations, Ohio Senate Democrat Bill DeMora said.
“This bill is another answer, looking for a question. It is something that’s not needed. I mean, there are procedures in line already for unemployment compensation,” DeMora told NBC4.
Lorenz and primary sponsor Rep. Jennifer Gross filed the bill on July 21 — even though the state House is not in session and won’t reconvene until October.
