TRENTON, N.J. – New Jersey saw over 27,000 new unemployment claims last week, the steepest climb in cases since the week end July 25th when slightly more than 28,000 new claims were received.
The Murphy Administration blamed a surge in applications from resident workers who aren’t eligible for ordinary unemployment benefits.
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“The increase is primarily in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), a federal benefit available under the CARES Act to help workers who are not eligible for regular unemployment,” the Department of Labor & Workforce Development announced in a Thursday statement. “A 25 percent increase in new claims was recorded in the prior week, also due primarily to more people filing claims for PUA.”
New Jersey’s employment rate sat at 10.9% in August, the nation’s 8th highest.
Over 1.6 million New Jerseyans – out of a total population of 9 million – have applied for unemployment benefits since the Murphy lockdown began in earnest back in mid-March.
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