Iowa Workforce officials say unemployment claims in the state rose nearly nineteenfold last week due to layoffs created by the coronavirus pandemic.
Workforce Development Director Beth Townsend says several million dollars in claims have been paid out:
OC………this week as well. :13
The U.S. Department of Labor reported that initial claims for jobless benefits in Iowa surged to 41,890 in the week that ended March 21st:
OC……….2600 claims. :19
The total claims were up from just 2,229 the prior week.
Townsend says her 250 staff members are dealing with thousands of calls, and asks those phoning in to be patient.
Officials say Nebraska’s initial claims for unemployment skyrocketed with the rest of the nation’s last week amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The filings rose to nearly 16,000 from a little less than 800 the week before.
The news comes as two more COVID-19 cases were confirmed in Nebraska, bringing the state total to 68.
South Dakota officials say unemployment filings surged to 1,703 last week as COVID-19 infections spread, prompting layoffs.
The number is nearly a nine-fold increase from the previous week.
