22K Unemployment Claims Filed In RI Last Week

CRANSTON, RI — Unemployment claims filed in Rhode Island over the past week decreased slightly, dropping more than 5,000 from the week before. Despite the slight decrease, the Department of Labor and Training continues to see record claims.

Over the past week, 22,805 unemployment claims were filed in Rhode Island, down 5,438 from the 28,243 filed the week before, according to data from the federal Department of Labor.

During Monday's daily news conference, Gov. Gina Raimondo said that more than 144,000 unemployment claims have been filed in the state since the beginning of the new coronavirus crisis. Daily claim numbers frequently exceed the weekly numbers reported during the 2009 recession, she said.

To help some of those hardest-hit by the economic shutdown, unemployment benefits have been extended to categories of workers usually not eligible to apply, as well as an additional $600 per week until July as part of the federal stimulus package. There are now three "buckets" for claims, Raimondo explained.

1. Regular unemployment claims: Full- or part-time employees who have been laid off can apply for benefits through the usual, established system. Benefits should arrive within one to two weeks, along with the additional $600 per week from the federal stimulus program.
2. "Unusual" applicants: Those who are not eligible for benefits, such as contractors and gig workers, can now qualify for unemployment. Benefits should arrive within one to two weeks, along with the additional $600 per week from the federal stimulus program.
3. Special cases: Certain employees that have not been laid off but are still "severely" impacted by the crisis to the point that they are unable to work can qualify for benefits, Raimondo said, such as people who have been ordered to stay home by their doctor because they are immunocompromised. These benefits will require strict guidelines and verification to meet federal standards and avoid fraud, and will take up to a month to arrive.

Anyone applying for unemployment is asked to do so online and only call the DLT if it is absolutely necessary. Most applicants will receive their benefits within one to two weeks.

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