DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Iowa saw a jump in the number of people filing for unemployment last week compared to the week prior, according to a new U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report.
The jump comes as the country continues to deal with the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. The report released Thursday showed 14,586 new claims filed between May 17 and May 23. That was an increase from the previous week, when 13,040 people filed unemployment claims in Iowa. More than $661 million in benefits has been paid out since April 4, the release said.
Those industries with the most claims last week included manufacturing, which saw more than 3,800 claims, health care and social assistance, with right at 1,400 claims and retail, with more than 900 claims. Nearly 2,400 claims last week came from the self-employed, independent contractors and other unspecified industries - nearly twice the 1,250 in that category who filed the week prior.
Nationally, more than 2.1 million laid-off workers applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week, according to the Labor Department. About 41 million people have now filed for jobless aid in the weeks since the coronavirus first forced millions of businesses to close their doors and shrink their workforces.
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