Almost 56,000 people filed unemployment claims in Wisconsin last week, according to data released by the Department of Workforce Development Thursday morning.
While the weekly total of initial claims (55,874) is down from the high a week prior of 69,983, the numbers are still up dramatically from where they were last year.
Over the same week in 2019, 4,902 people filed unemployment claims. That represents an 1100% increase.
Almost 300,000 people made weekly unemployment claims with the state agency last week, almost 10 times the amount who filed the year before.
Wisconsin's predicament is a reflection of a national trend. Over 4.4 million people filed for unemployment across the country last week. In the last five weeks, 26 million people have claimed to have lost their jobs.
Many layoffs have come as a result of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Executive orders from many governors have suspended nonessential business. Demand for many goods and services have cratered as people spend more time at home to reduce the chance of infection.
To read more go to WKOW https://wkow.com/2020/04/23/over-55000-wisconsinites-file-for-unemployment/
Photo: WKO