Labor Dept.: Unemployment payout reaches $5.2B in N.J.

The New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development announced on Thursday it has distributed $5.2 billion in unemployment benefits in New Jersey since the COVID-19 pandemic began in mid-March.

The NJDOL said it took in 27,000 new unemployment claims for the week ending on May 30, a 22% decrease from the week before, for a total of 1.2 million new claims since March.

Additionally, there are 70,000 workers who have exhausted their benefits and have been notified to certify for Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, which provides an additional 13 weeks of benefits. In its first week, more than 7,000 certified for it.

“This pandemic has been especially difficult financially for claimants who had exhausted their unemployment benefits before it hit, and had to greatly reduce their work search because of the health crisis. We are proud to launch the PEUC program in New Jersey so we can deliver much-needed economic relief to these claimants,” Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo said. “While we continue to make important strides in serving our customers, we won’t rest until every eligible claimant receives every penny they deserve.”

Nationally for the week, 1.877 million people filed for unemployment, a decrease of 249,000 from last week’s total, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

New Jersey’s weekly total of unemployment claims:

Week 1 (March 15-21): 155,815
Week 2 (March 22-28): 206,253
Week 3 (March 29-April 4): 214,836
Week 4 (April 5-11): 141,420
Week 5 (April 12-18): 140,139
Week 6 (April 19-25): 71,996
Week 7 (April 26-May 2): 88,326
Week 8 (May 3-9): 69,689
Week 9 (May 10-16): 42,365
Week 10 (May 17-23): 34,410
Week 11 (May 24-30): 26,752
Total: 1,192,001

During the pandemic, 957,289 have claimed benefits.

The state said the $5.2 billion in total benefits payout includes $1.9 billion in state unemployment payouts since mid-March, $3 billion in Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation payments and $334 million in PUA payments.

New Jersey’s weekly breakdown of  payments (in millions):