COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Ohio is extending unemployment benefits an additional 13 weeks.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services said Wednesday about 280,000 people are eligible for extended benefits and mailing notices will go out in the next several weeks. The state typically provides 26 weeks of unemployment benefits.

Money for the extension will come from the federal government. A measure passed by Congress and signed by President Bush makes workers who qualified for a new unemployment claim on or after May 5, 2007, eligible for the extended benefits.

Funds states use to pay unemployment benefits have been running low. Thirty-three states, including Ohio, have funds below recommended levels.

The latest figures show that Ohio's unemployment rate was 6.3 percent in May, up from 5.6 percent in April.

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