More than 27,000 people have filed unemployment claims in Connecticut since March 20.
These new claims come in addition to the 72,000 new unemployment claims from March 13 to March 20.
Since March 13, nearly 100,000 claims have come in, with more the number growing each day.
To put that into perspective, the state Department of Labor typically receives 2,500 claims on an average week.
To respond to the claims, the department will continue to shift resources to devote more staff to processing new claims.
They said Gov. Ned Lamont has authorized the use of overtime for that reason.
Unemployment pays roughly 50% of your weekly gross earnings over the previous 15 months, and benefits are for 26 weeks, unless an extension is made on the federal level.
Local
The average weekly benefit is $376 and the maximum is capped at $649. Dependent credits of $15 for up to five children are also available.
Work search requirements have been waived as of Friday, March 20.
On Friday, the governor ordered all non-essential businesses in Connecticut closed. Exemptions are listed below:
- Grocery stores
- Gas stations
- Pharmacies
- Major construction projects underway
- Major manufacturing facilities, especially in the defense industry
For more FAQs from the Department of Labor, click here.
