Number of Kentucky residents filing for unemployment surges
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Surging layoffs led Kentucky residents to file for unemployment benefits in staggering numbers last week as the coronavirus crisis continued to wreak havoc on the economy.
A total of 112,726 Kentuckians filed initial unemployment claims last week, the U.S. Labor Department reported Thursday. The dramatic escalation has left the state's unemployment system struggling to keep pace with the need for assistance from people suddenly out of work as businesses shut down or scale back and residents stay home in response to the virus.
The previous week, 49,023 Kentucky residents had sought jobless benefits in the state of nearly 4.5 million people. In a recent week before the virus started damaging the economy, fewer than 2,800 unemployment claims were filed in Kentucky.
Nationwide, an unprecedented 6.6 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week.
Meanwhile, Beshear said Thursday that he's asking school districts to extend school closings until at least early May because of the virus. Beshear previously had asked schools to close for at least two weeks in March, then extended that closure until April 20.
His newest request is that schools remain closed through May 1.
“This is further sacrifice by our kids and by our educators, but it’s absolutely necessary,” the governor said during his daily briefing.
Beshear also reported 100 new coronavirus cases statewide and 11 more virus-related deaths. Total Kentucky cases since the pandemic began approached 800.
Like many other states, Kentucky’s unemployment benefit enrollment system has been clogged by the surging number of claims. Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear has asked Kentuckians applying to be patient as the state contends with the crush of applications for benefits.
“We’ve received a number of complaints because we haven’t been able to move fast enough," Beshear said Wednesday at his daily coronavirus briefing. “That’s on us; it’s an unprecedented time. It’s an amount of claims that we’ve never seen before. But you know what? It’s our job to fix it.”
Beshear has taken aggressive steps to try to contain the virus's spread, leading to the temporary closure of many businesses that have face-to-face contact with customers. Total statewide cases approached 700 and the death toll reached 20, the governor said Wednesday.
Josh Benton, deputy secretary of the state’s Education and Workforce Development Cabinet, said Wednesday that the state continues ramping up efforts to meet the demand for jobless assistance. Benton’s cabinet manages the state’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund.
He said the state revamped its website offering a centralized place for information about unemployment insurance — from eligibility to how to submit a claim and check on it — and staffing at the call center has grown dramatically. Before the crisis, the center’s staff typically fielded about 1,000 to 1,500 calls daily, he said.
“In the past three business days, we have received anywhere between 80,000 and 200,000 calls on that line," he said. “We know it’s causing backlogs and hold times that none of us want to see.”
In a Thursday tweet, Beshear urged people to complete applications online, if possible, to help the state process more claims.
The state wants to prioritize use of phone lines for people needing to update PINs or assistance filing claims, Benton said.
“We know it's been challenging," he said. “We know this has been difficult, especially for folks trying to call in. Especially for folks that are having trouble applying."
Most people who contract COVID-19 have mild or moderate symptoms, which can include fever and cough but also milder cases of pneumonia, sometimes requiring hospitalization. The risk of death is greater for older adults and people with other health problems.
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