Weekly unemployment claims in NJ jump 70% as furloughs begin and school year ends

More than 47,000 New Jersey workers filed new unemployment claims during the week ending July 4, a 70 percent jump from the prior week, with two groups – furloughed state workers and those laid off when the school year ended in June – making up much of the spike, officials said. 

Last week’s initial claim total is the highest number of single-week applicants the Department of Labor and Workforce Development has recorded in eight weeks, officials said.

During the week ending May 9, nearly 70,000 initial claims were filed. Total payments to New Jersey workers have reached almost $10 billion since mid-March.  

The New Jersey Department of Labor has received 1.35 million applicants for unemployment since mid-March, and 1.2 million of them have met the earnings requirements to receive benefits. Officials said 96 percent of the people who applied and qualified have received payments.

Last week, the New Jersey Labor Department began offering 20 weeks of extended unemployment to New Jersey workers who have exhausted their state and federal jobless benefits, bringing the maximum number of weeks benefits-eligible claimants may receive unemployment to 59 weeks. Claimants are automatically enrolled into extended benefits as their federal extension ends. They do not need to contact an agent or reapply. 

The weekly totals of new unemployment claims are:   

Week	New Unemployment Claims
March 15-21	155,815
March 22-28	206,253
March 29-April 4	214,836
April 5-11	141,420
April 12-18	140,139
April 19-25	71,996
April 26-May 2	88,326
May 3-9	69,689
May 10-16	42,365
May 17-23	34,410
May 24-30	26,752
May 31-June 6	23,166
June 7-13	26,392
June 14-20	33,004
June 21-27	27,965
June 28-July 4	47,391*
Total	1,349,919