June 18, 2020
Mass. unemployment claims surpass 1M as U.S. surpasses 46M
Photo | Grant Welker
Crown Bakery on Gold Star Boulevard in Worcester has closed permanently since the coronavirus pandemic began.
By Riley Garand
Unemployment claims filed since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic have increased to 1,006,365 in Massachusetts, according to U.S Department of Labor data released Thursday.
There were a reported 30,156 new claims made statewide at the week ending June 13, which is 14,986 less than the previous week. The Department of Labor also adjusted the claimed for the ending of June 6, increasing claims from 44,732 to 45,142.
The latest unemployment numbers come after Gov. Charlie Baker’s issued guidance regarding the beginning of Phase 2 of the economic reopening on June 8 in Massachusetts, following the shutdown in March to stem the spread of coronavirus.
Baker announced Phase 2 includes two steps of reopening with the first one including: retail with occupancy limits, childcare facilities and day camps with detailed guidance, outdoor service at restaurants, hotels and lodging with no events or functions, warehouses, distribution centers, personal services such as home cleaning, and higher education courses, specifically ones required for graduation.
The second step of Phase 2, detailing what and when other businesses will open next has not yet been announced by Baker.
Retail, health and lodging jobs have generally been hardest hit during the pandemic. For the week ending June 6, leading sectors for unemployment claims in Massachusetts were health and social assistance (5,908), food and accommodation (4,901) and retail (4,836), according to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. Data for the week ending of June 13 was not available Thursday morning.
Nationally, 1,508,000 million claims were filed last week, which is 58,000 less than the week prior. In total, the country has had more than 46 million residents who have filed for unemployment claims.
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