Florida sees unemployment claims jump by 170,000 as U.S. jobless hit 6.6 million
Unemployment claims in Florida swelled by about 170,000 last week, as the U.S. added another 6.6 million to its jobless rolls due to the economic fallout from coronavirus.
Combined with the last weeks’ figures of 228,484 and 74,021, nearly half a million Floridians now find themselves on the street looking for work.
The state layoffs across its economy, including agriculture, construction, manufacturing, wholesale trade, retail, and other services industries, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Although the latest figure is lower than last week’s, Florida’s unemployment system remains beset by technical difficulties, which may have contributed to the fluctuation. Late Wednesday, the state revealed a new mobile phone-friendly portal for filing claims. The state has also begun rolling out paper forms for those without reliable access to a computer or Internet.
This story was originally published April 9, 2020 at 8:44 AM.
