DOL releases unemployment numbers

Published 12:37 pm Monday, June 15, 2020

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The Alabama Department of Labor released stats for the time period ranging from Saturday, May 31 to Saturday, June 6 on Thursday, June 11.

According to the report, 19,950 initial unemployment claims were submitted during this time period, with 12,377 related to COVID-19.

Industries with the most number of claims included: Industry Not Available (6,461), followed by Administrative and Support Services (2,027), Food Service and Drinking Places (1,660), Transportation Equipment Manufacturing (857), General Merchandise Stores (584), and Education Services (491).

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Jefferson County had largest number of claims with 2,977. During the same time period, 52 claims came from Crenshaw County.

Among other nearby counties, Covington had 82, Butler had 129, Pike reported 134 and Montgomery County reported 1,518. Lowndes County had 60 new unemployment claims.

The total of 19,950 continues a downward trend since the initial surge of new unemployment claims due to COVID-19.

The week of April 4 still remains the largest surge since the beginning of the pandemic with a total of 106, 739 initial claims.

ADOL reported on June 4 that more than $1.5 billion has been dispersed in COVID-19 related unemployment compensation benefits.

The same report indicates that 92 percent of those who filed COVID-19 related unemployment claims had been issued payments as of June 4.

According to the same report, the state is paying benefits under all three programs covered in the CARES Act: Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC).

$1,597,770,137 has been paid to 292,493 claimants in COVID-19 related benefits over the period covering March 16 to June 3, 2020. This represents 1,714,392 weeks paid.

$1,147,359,000 of those funds is FPUC, the $600 stimulus benefit added to weekly unemployment compensation benefits, while $34,302,995 represents PUA funds, and $8,834,035 represents PEUC funds.