WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) - The state of Delaware paid more than $30 million in unemployment benefits last week.
The News Journal of Wilmington reported Tuesday that the figure is typically $1.5 million a week.
Delaware’s labor secretary says the state is receiving a historic number of unemployment claims in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Labor Secretary Cerron Cade said 61,842 unemployment claims have been filed since March 15. He said that number is close to the number of claims filed in the last two years combined.
Cade said that about 20% percent of the claims are from people who are not eligible for unemployment. He added that about 65% of total applicants have been approved for
Cade said the department hopes to have a program for self-employed and independent contract workers. Those types of workers previously did not receive unemployment from the state.
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