Maine sees dip in new unemployment claims even as national numbers tick up

(The Center Square) – New unemployment claims in Maine fell slightly last week even as the coronavirus outbreak continues to impact the state’s economy.

At least 3,561 unemployment claims were filed for the week that ended Jan. 9, a decline of 379 claims, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s weekly jobless claims report.

Another 721 new claims were filed for federally backed Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, a rise of 468 claims, the federal agency said.

Nationally, about 965,000 new jobless claims were filed last week, a rise of about 181,000 claims from the previous week and the highest total since August, according to the Labor Department.

Continuing claims – which are considered a barometer of the unemployment situation – increased to 5.27 million nationally, the labor department said

Overall, the total number of people now receiving state or federal unemployment benefits dropped to 18.4 million.

Meanwhile, thousands of unemployed Mainers are starting to receive an extra $300 per week in jobless payments.

The money comes from an extension of the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program as part of a COVID-19 relief package passed last month.

The government-funded programs provide federal jobless benefits for self-employed, gig workers and others who do not qualify for traditional state unemployment programs.

Maine has paid out more than $1.7 billion in federal and state unemployment benefits since mid-March, when the COVID-19 outbreak began.

The state’s jobless rate fell to 5% in November, according to figures released by the Maine Department of Labor.

Disclaimer: This content is distributed by The Center Square