COLUMBUS — Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted has announced 8,151 new entities filed to do business in Ohio during June 2015.

This number is up from the same month in 2014 when 7,660 entities filed.

So far in 2015, 50,514 new businesses have been formed in Ohio, maintaining course for 2015 to be another record-breaking year for the state. At the same point in 2014, 49,254 new businesses were filed with the Secretary of State.

At Husted’s request, the General Assembly in June approved a 21 percent cut to the cost of starting and maintaining a new business in Ohio.

The cost reduction, which goes into effect this fall, represents the first time this fee has been cut in modern history and will make Ohio the least expensive state in the region to start and maintain a new business.

The state has experienced record business growth each year for the past five years, beginning in 2010. Under the leadership of Husted, the state has made it possible for more than 80 percent of all filings to be done online.

Though the most visible role of the Secretary of State is that of chief elections officer, the office is also the first stop for individuals or companies who want to file and start a business in Ohio. While recognizing these numbers can’t provide a complete picture of Ohio’s jobs climate, they are an important indicator of economic activity that Husted hopes will add to the ongoing discussion of how to improve the state’s overall climate for business.

New business filings are classified as forms filed with the Ohio Secretary of State that declare the formation of a business entity, including for-profit, nonprofit and professional corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, limited partnerships and limited liability partnerships.