Tennessee saw 112,438 people file for unemployment benefits last week, according to the state’s department of labor.
Tennessee has seen 246,718 people claim government assistance in the last three weeks as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, according to PBS.
Overall, America set a new record with 6.6 million people filing for unemployment benefits for the week of April 4. The last three weeks have seen 16.8 million Americans asking the government for help.
According to a CNBC study, 10 percent of Americans have lost their job, and 16 percent of American workers have taken a pay cut.
Tennessee has made up 1.5 percent of America’s unemployment claims the last three weeks.
Tennesseans filing for unemployment benefits is only likely to increase as the state is in the first week of its “Stay-at-Home” order. This order lasts until April 14.
Gov. Bill Lee said Wednesday that he is unsure if his “Stay-at-Home” order will be extended, NewsChannel 5 reports.
During Tuesday’s press conference, Gov. Bill Lee acknowledged that COVID-19 is effecting working-class people in the state.
“On average, we typically see over a three-week period, about 10,000 initial employment claims,” he said according to WREG. “Over the last three week period, we’re on track to be about 25 times higher that.”
Unemployed Tennesseans who are expecting a check from the federal government will have to wait after The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development said it is adjusting its computer system to “accommodate changes from the federal relief package,” the Associated Press reports.
As of Thursday, Tennessee 4,634 had confirmed coronavirus cases and 94 deaths, according to the Tennessee Department of Health.
The University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation projects the Chinese virus in Tennessee will peak on April 17.
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Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of Star News Digital Media. If you have any tips, email Zachery at [email protected].
Photo “People Filling Out Paperwork” by Micah Sittig. CC BY 2.0.
