TAMPA (WFLA) – As the coronavirus continues to spread many Floridians are filing for unemployment benefits.
More than 6.6 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, far exceeding a record high set just a week prior, a sign that layoffs are accelerating in the midst of the coronavirus.
In Florida, jobless claims have risen by nearly 5,000% in the first week of the year from 4,618 claims to 227,000 claims during the week of March 23, 2020. Wallethub says this is the second-highest increase in the U.S.
To analyze how unemployment has affected people in different states, Wallethub started with claim increases for the week ending on March 28. They compared the current rates the same week in March 2019 and to the first week of 2020.
Layoffs in the service, retail trade, manufacturing, wholesale trade, construction, and
agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industries led to the increase in Florida, according to the Department of Labor.
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