May 21, 2020
Pandemic-related unemployment in Mass. reaches 865K
Photo | Grant Welker
The Sahara restaurant on Highland Street in Worcester has closed during the coronavirus pandemic.
By Grant Welker
Unemployment claims filed since the coronavirus pandemic hit have reached roughly 865,000 in Massachusetts after another 38,328 claims were filed last week, according to U.S. Department of Labor data released Thursday.
New claims filed in the week ending May 16 make up roughly one-fifth of the state's peak in weekly cases in late March when pandemic-related business closures first took place. But the number is also eight times greater than the same period a year ago.
The 864,749 who've filed for unemployment in the last nine weeks account for 23.4% of the state's 3.7-million-person workforce as of March.
Across the state, construction claims have fallen sharply while manufacturing and administrative and waste services have gained a bigger share of unemployment claims.
Claims in Massachusetts were highest in the week ending May 16 in health and social assistance (5,621), retail (4,457) and food and accommodation (3,893).
The April unemployment rate for Massachusetts is scheduled to be released Friday. The state's record high monthly unemployment figure was 10.3% in March 1976, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The latest unemployment numbers come as the state is slowly reopening some businesses again. Gov. Charlie Baker issued new guidance this week allowing construction and manufacturing operations to restart on Monday. By May 25, more businesses will be set to re-open: offices, laboratories, hair salons, barbershops, car washes, pet grooming and recreational marijuana. Restaurants are not yet able to reopen for dine-in services.
Nationally, 2.4 million claims were filed last week, bringing the nine-week total to more than 39 million. The national unemployment rate for April was 14.7%, the highest since during the Great Depression.
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