WASHINGTON — The number of people seeking unemployment aid soared last week to 965,000, the most since late August and evidence that the resurgent virus has caused a spike in layoffs.

The latest figures for jobless claims, issued Thursday by the Labor Department, remain at levels never seen until the virus struck.

Before the pandemic, weekly applications typically numbered around 225,000.

Last spring, after nationwide shutdowns took effect, applications for jobless benefits spiked to nearly 7 million — 10 times the previous record high.

After declining over the summer, weekly claims have been stuck above 700,000 since September.

Editor’s note: With our coronavirus coverage, our goal is not to alarm you but to equip you with the information you need. We will try to keep things in context and focus on helping you make decisions. See a list of resources and frequently asked questions here.

CINCINNATI -- UC Health executives will take a pay cut to prevent layoffs or furloughs as the system ramps up its response to COVID-19.

Health system leaders have also been asked to reduce payroll expenses to direct critical funding to medical staff working to combat coronavirus.

“Almost as soon as this public health crisis began, and much like other healthcare systems across the country and locally, we saw our expenses increase dramatically while our revenue streams have dwindled – all while doing the right thing for our communities," said UC Spokeswoman Amanda Nageleisen in a statement Friday.

In line with Gov. Mike DeWine’s order, UC Health has canceled or postponed "non-emergent elective surgeries and clinic visits" to conserve PPE and keep beds open to care for COVID-19 patients. The health system also "re-prioritized" its projects by pausing or eliminating work, and clarified and pivoted to focus on supporting our COVID-19 response.

"These measures were also taken to protect our workforce and other patients by preventing further spread of infection," Nageleisen said. "Our first response to help offset the diminished revenues was to proactively defer major capital expenses and non COVID-19-related projects."

But that response wasn't enough, officials say.

"Like other health care and service industry businesses, our largest expense is our employment costs. We do not want to have layoffs or furloughs. We value every employee and believe that we will need our full workforce especially as we plan for a surge of COVID-19 patients, and certainly after we emerge from our current reality," Nageleisen said.

Because of this, UC is implementing the pay reduction for all directors and above, and asks leaders to reduce their department payroll expenses by a minimum of 20% either by using paid time off (PTO) and/or unpaid leave.

"By taking these actions, we are seeking to preserve the jobs and benefits of our employees who are so important for us, and ensure that they can take care of our patients, community and their families, especially during this unprecedented time," Nageleisen said. "While we don’t want to take these actions, we must take action now to ensure we have the resources needed to care for our friends and neighbors suffering from COVID-19."

MASON, Ohio — Cintas Corp. has announced several cost-cutting measures due to “lower work volume” required by its customers in the COVID-19 crisis. The cuts include staff reductions, but Cintas won’t say how many.

The Mason-based company provides uniforms, restroom supplies, welcome mats and carpet/tile cleaning services to factories, office buildings and other corporate facilities that have cleared out in the last month as more employees work from home. Cintas declined to answer questions beyond a prepared statement, so it’s unclear what impact the coronavirus is having on company revenue.

“Cintas has made the difficult decision to reduce our workforce in Cincinnati,” the statement said. “This decision was not made lightly and is in addition to other steps taken including a reduction in executive compensation and eliminating all non-essential spending.”

Braulio Benitez joined Cintas in Chicago four years ago and relocated to Mason to be a product development manager in 2017, designing floor mats with company logos. He’s disappointed by the downsizing but appreciates the severance offered by the company.

“They’re handling it the best they can,” he said. “Luckily the experience that I have is somewhat unique, so I could stay within the industry. I’ve made some good connections with suppliers, so I’m taking some time right now to think about my next move.”

Benitez said employees were told of the cuts last Friday. He doesn’t know how many employees were let go.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services has not received any information about the layoffs from Cintas, spokesman Bret Crow said. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires companies laying off more than 50 employees in a single location to issue a public notice at least 60 days before the layoffs take place. The U.S. Labor Department can make exceptions to the rule when “layoffs occur due to unforeseeable business circumstances, faltering companies and natural disasters,” according to the department’s web site.

Cintas said it will “provide severance and other resources for individuals who were let go in this process. Furloughed employee-partners will continue to be eligible to receive Cintas health and wellness benefits and we look forward to bringing them back as non-essential businesses re-open and our business volumes return to normal levels. Cintas continues to be an essential business as we are an important supplier to many of those who are the front lines of this crisis, and we’ll continue to do all that we can to take care of both our customers and our employee-partners.”