JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations Division of Employment Security reported more than 100,000 unemployment claims for the week ending on March 28.
This is an increase of nearly 147% over the previous week’s initial claims of 42,207.
More than 89,000 of the 104,230 claims were COVID-19 related, according to a press release.
The department of labor said it has increased its staffing due to the spike in unemployment claims.
According to the release, the claims center staff is working overtime to help ensure Missouri workers who have lost their jobs due to no fault of their own receive their benefits in as timely a manner as possible.
“The best way for workers to file a claim is online at UInteract.labor.mo.gov. Our staff is taking an unprecedented number of phone calls, but many calls are related to questions and new law changes and not the filing of a claim. This consumes precious staff time and blocks assistance to those who need to file a claim, but do not have access to the internet,” said DES Director Chris Slinkard.
The passage of Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES), which expands unemployment benefits has greatly increased the number of calls into the claims centers, the release stated.
“We understand that everyone is anxious about what this means for them in terms of being eligible if you are self-employed or when a claimant might expect to receive the $600 supplement,” said Slinkard. “Since the program is fully federally funded, and not a state program, DOLIR must wait for the guidance issued by the US Department of Labor (USDOL) to properly administer and receive the funding for the program. Trying to do this before we receive the federal guidance, could cost the State and the employers millions of dollars. We expect this guidance very soon and like thousands of Missourians, we’re anxiously awaiting word from our federal partners so that we can provide the new benefits as quickly as possible.”
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