The number of additional people filing for unemployment assistance is continuing to taper off in Tennessee, but numbers released Thursday morning still show above-average claims.
Last week, 43,792 Tennesseans filed for unemployment, pushing the total for initial claims during the pandemic to more than 440,000 residents. They’re among more than 30 million Americans who’ve lost their jobs.
Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development This table shows the rise of unemployment claims in Tennessee during the coronavirus pandemic.
The newly unemployed also include self-employed people who were previously ineligible for unemployment checks. After weeks of waiting, they should begin seeing payments from the labor department, including an additional $600 weekly, from the federal CARES Act.
The wave of state filings has overwhelmed Tennessee’s online system. The state website to file unemployment has been temporarily taken offline at least twice so payments could be processed.
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