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North Country unemployment claims up 1,379 percent

Posted 4/2/20

The New York State Department of Labor says North Country unemployment claims are up 1,379% for the week ending March 28. They say 6,391 people filed claims last week, up from 1,423 the previous week …

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North Country unemployment claims up 1,379 percent

Posted

The New York State Department of Labor says North Country unemployment claims are up 1,379% for the week ending March 28.

They say 6,391 people filed claims last week, up from 1,423 the previous week and 432 for the same week last year.

Statewide, 369,025 initial unemployment insurance (UI) claims were filed for that time period.

They say that represents an increase of 288,516 claims from the 80,509 UI claims that were filed the previous week. Compared to last year, initial claims for in New York State for the week ending March 28, 2020, increased by 2,674%.

For the week ending March 28, 2020, all statewide industries experienced an increase in initial claims for unemployment insurance over the past year.

Statewide industries in New York with the most rapid over-the-year percentage increase in initial claims included: what DOL calls “other services” (+9,153%), accommodation and food services (+4,159%), arts, entertainment and recreation (+3,880%), healthcare and social assistance (+3,847%) and educational services (+3,800%).

In recent weeks, the New York State Department of Labor’s unemployment insurance filing system has faced an unprecedented increase in volume — including a 16,000% increase in phone calls and a nearly 900% increase in web traffic, compared to a typical week. In order to address this surge, the Department of Labor has implemented a filing system based on the first letter of the applicant's last name (alphabetical order): A - F : Monday; G - N : Tuesday; O - Z: Wednesday; Missed your day: Thursday through Saturday.

The Telephone Claim Center’s hours are Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Saturdays, 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The New York State Department of Labor says they are” dedicated to ensuring that every New Yorker who is entitled to UI benefits will receive all benefits due.”

New Yorkers seeking to file an unemployment insurance claim can visit labor.ny.gov or call the Telephone Claim Center at 888-209-8124.