Unemployment Breakdown

Thousands file for unemployment due to Coronavirus

Thanks sierra.

Unemployment claims in the state are on the rise amid the coronavirus pandemic.

And today, we expect to learn the number of claims filed in the past week.

Waay 31's rodneya ross is live outside the alabama career system center with what the numbers look like right now.

The alabama department of labor told us that in just a few weeks, they've received the same number of claims they would normally get in an entire year.

Take a look at these numbers... in the first two weeks of march -- there were fewer than two-thousand claims each week.

But between the week ending on march 21st to the following week -- the number of claims drastically increased from about 11- thousand to 81-thousand claims. and for those filing for unemployment, the department of labor says it can take up to three weeks to receive benefits.

Shelly wilbanks, athletic trainer it's just so frustrating because i still haven't gotten paid for it and we still don't know about the whole $600 that the federal is going to put in it per week.

The department of labor says they are also working to incorporate the changes put in place by the federal cares act.

So far, the alabama department of labor says they paid more than six million dollars in coronavirus- related unemployment benefits between march 27th and april third.

Reporting live in hsv, rr,