Over 3,000 people in St. Lawrence County had to go on unemployment in April as the jobless rate spiked due to statewide stay-at-home orders issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This occurred while all schools and colleges closed, and hospitals announced layoffs. Many other businesses also had to temporarily shut down, including bars, restaurants and some retail operations.

The Department of Labor says 6,300 people in the county were unemployed last month, up from 2,300 the same month last year. DOL reports the unemployment rate increased from 5.4% in April 2019 to 14% in April 2020.

The county lost over 2,000 jobs, DOL said. They say there were 38,400 people employed last month, down from 40,600 in April 2019.

Franklin County saw similar shifts, with a 14.3% unemployment rate, which rose from 5.1% in April 2019. They had 2,900 people receiving benefits last month, up from 1,000 in April 2019. They lost 900 jobs, with 17,200 people employed last month and 18,100 the same month last year.

Jefferson County saw a 16.9% unemployment rate last month, up from 5.4% in April 2019. They had 7,400 people receiving unemployment, up from 2,300 in April 2019. And last month they lost over 4,000 jobs, with 36,300 employed in April 2020 and 40,700 in April 2019.

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