Labor Dept.: N.J. unemployment benefits payout reaches $10.7B

The New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development announced on Thursday it has distributed $10.7 billion worth of unemployment benefits since the COVID-19 pandemic began 17 weeks ago.

Just last week, the department paid out $825 million in state and federal income benefits, including $2.2 million of extended benefit payments (additional 20 weeks to those who have exhausted all other unemployment aid and are not back to work.)

“In times of economic distress and employment uncertainty, it’s important to be able to offer an additional 20-week safety net to our residents who remain out of work through no fault of their own,” Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo said. “Everyone receiving unemployment will automatically be rolled over to the extended program when their benefits expire. They do not have to make a phone call or go online, except to keep certifying for benefits every week.”

For the week ending July 11, the NJDOL said it received 38,150 new unemployment applications, bringing the total to nearly 1.4 million initial claims since mid-March. This week’s total of new applications is 20% lower than last week due to fewer school-related and state employee claims.

Nationally for the week, 1.3 million people filed for unemployment for the first time, a decrease of 10,000 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
Week 12 (May 31-June 6): 23,116
Week 13 (June 7-13): 26,392
Week 14 (June 14-20)33,004
Week 15 (June 28-July 4): 47,391
Week 16 (July 5-11): 38,150
Total: 1,388,069  

This month showed New Jersey employers are eager to their employees back to work, as total nonfarm wage and salary employment increased by 130,900 in June.

Despite the payroll gain, the state’s unemployment rate rose by 1.2 points to 16.6% — higher than the national average (11.1%).

Jobs gains were recorded in eight out of the nine major private industry sectors, including trade, transportation, and utilities (+41,800); leisure and hospitality (+35,300); education and health services (+33,000); other services (+7,400); construction (+7,100); professional and business services (+6,700); manufacturing (+3,300); and information (+200).

The only sector to show job losses was financial activities (-700).

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

Week   

NJ UI   

FPUC    

PUA    

PEUC  

EB 

March 15-21   

 $47.4    

NA   

NA   

NA  

NA 

March 22-28   

 $57.9    

NA   

NA   

NA  

NA 

March 29-April 3   

 $89.8    

NA   

NA   

NA  

NA 

April 4-11   

$140.7    

$154.8   

NA   

NA  

NA 

April 12-18   

$179.7    

$238.8   

NA   

NA  

NA 

April 19-25   

$211.1    

$296.3   

NA   

NA  

NA 

April 26-May 2   

$171.7    

$291.1   

$27.1   

NA  

NA 

May 3-9   

$244.7    

$502.4   

$51.6   

NA  

NA 

May 10-16   

$239.7   

$414.0   

$55.6   

NA  

NA 

May 17-23   

$236.2   

$596.9   

$112.3   

NA  

NA 

May 24-30   

$242.7   

$553.5   

$87.7   

NA  

NA 

May 31-June 6  

$255.5  

$635.2  

$56.6  

$56.6  

NA 

June 7-13  

$244.5  

$573.8  

$60.7  

$46.5  

NA 

June 14-20  

$248.9  

$626.1  

$86.6  

$37.4  

NA 

June 21-27  

$240.4  

$559.7  

$73.5  

$31.7  

NA 

June 28-July 4  

$202.9  

$536.1  

$71.7  

$31.8  

NA 

July 5-11 

$208.5 

$521.3 

$69.1 

$24.4 

$2.2 

Total   

$3,262.3  

$6,500.   

$752.5  

$228.4  

$2.2