Coronavirus In Oklahoma: Unemployment Claims Shatter Records, Again

By Jack MoneyBusiness writerjmoney@oklahoman.comInitial claims for unemployment insurance skyrocketed for a second consecutive week in Oklahoma and across the nation as the coronavirus pandemic tightened its grip, the U.S. Labor Department reported Thursday.The agency estimates 6,648,000 workers idled by the virus across the nation filed initial claims during the week ending March 28 — about double compared to the week before.In Oklahoma, 44,970 people sought coverage under the program administered by the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission, compared to revised number of 21,926 the previous week.Both marks set records that go back as far as seasonally adjusted records have been kept, officials said.The pandemic continues to impact industries that provide services, especially those involving accommodations and food.A wider impact was observed during the past week as activities involving economic sectors covering non-essential health care activities, social assistance, manufacturing, retail and wholesale trade and construction also slowed.The Department of Labor estimates the number of workers receiving unemployment insurance benefits during the week ending March 21 was about 3.03 million, up about 1.25 million from the previous weekly period.The last time that many or more people were receiving unemployment insurance payments was in July 2013, when about 3.08 million idled workers were drawing payments.Another interesting bit of information, though not highlighted by Labor officials Thursday, was that every single state in the nation posted increases in initial claims for the most recent week.States with the largest increases were Pennsylvania, Ohio, Massachusetts, Texas and California.In OklahomaThere were 24,519 Oklahomans drawing benefits for the week ending March 28, up 7,665 from the previous week.“To call this unprecedented doesn’t begin to explain the enormity of the impact COVID-19 related job losses are having on our state and our economy,” Robin Roberson, the commission’s executive director, said Thursday.Read more on NewsOK.com

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