Comment on 100,000 jobless claims in Iowa in two weeks due to coronavirus epidemic

DES MOINES — The number of Iowans seeking government unemployment benefits after losing their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic has topped 100,000 in the last two weeks.Initial claims in Iowa reported by the U.S. Department of Labor, filed between Sunday and Saturday last week, hit a record 58,453. There were 55,963 initial claims by individuals who work and live in Iowa, and 2,490 claims by individuals who work in Iowa and live out of state.Iowa Workforce Development officials report a total of $13,724,986 of unemployment insurance benefits were paid to claimants for the week ending March 27.