NH Coronavirus: 19,110 More Workers File For Unemployment

CONCORD, NH — More than 19,000 new Granite Staters filed for unemployment benefits for the week ending April 18, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The new filings bring the number of New Hampshire residents who are collecting benefits to around 12.2 percent with about 113,000 filing during the past five weeks.

Nationally, 26.5 million people — 11 percent — are out of work due to the economic collapse in the wake of the new coronavirus since mid-March. According to the labor department, that rate "marks the highest level of the seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate in the history of the seasonally adjusted series."

But the figures don't include the seven million people out of work before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States — leading Fortune Magazine to state Thursday the national rate is probably closer to 20 percent. Neither of these rates include people who are not able to collect benefits — including many in New Hampshire who are falling through the cracks due to state law requirements of minimum work time periods and earning levels.

The week-over-week rate in New Hampshire is a dip of nearly 6,200 fewer claims from the week before and 15,000 less than two weeks ago. The new unemployment claims from last week represents about 2.5 percent of the state's workforce.

New Hampshire Employment Security recently released its monthly roundup of employment data showing the state's unemployment rate at 2.6 percent for March 2020 — unchanged from the month before and around what it been for the past few years.

"It is important to keep in mind that the March survey reference periods for the household and establishment surveys (the week or pay period, respectively, that includes the 12th of the month) predated many business and school closures that occurred in the second half of the month," the state said.

Employment Security expects the $600 per week federal benefit approved in the CARES Act on March 27 "to be available very soon" and the department was working "around the clock to implement" the program "as quickly as possible," according to a note on its website. Filers don't need to do anything to access the new benefits other than file their weekly claims, the department said.

Gov. Chris Sununu said Tuesday that 184,000 people in the state were now receiving benefits. Based on 780,000 workers in the labor force, the not working rate in New Hampshire is probably closer to 23.6 percent.

Visit the New Hampshire Employment Security site for more information about benefits, scheduling for calls, and how the self-employed can also file for claims.

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