June 16, 2020 / Modified jun 16, 2020 2:03 p.m.

First-time unemployment claims in Arizona set weekly record

Unemployment is rising despite the reopening of businesses in the state.

Nearly 150,000 Arizona residents filed first-time unemployment claims last week, a new weekly record for the state.

The data from the Arizona Department of Economic Security shows the number of first-time claims filed for the week ending June 13 rose by 26,000 when compared to the previous week. The week ending April 4 was the highest number of unemployment claims previously. A total of 132,000 first-time claims were filed that week.

The number of claims of continued unemployment also rose last week by nearly 500,000, to 1.4 million.

The governor let his stay-at-home order expire on May 15, allowing most businesses to reopen. Many of the claims filed since then are the self-employed. Until the middle of May they were not allowed to file unemployment claims.

A temporary change in federal law allowed the self-employed to receive those benefits. That change in the law will expire at the end of the year.

A $600 additional weekly unemployment payment from the federal government is set to expire in the coming weeks. That will reduce the maximum payment in Arizona to $240 per week unless Congress renews the additional payment.

By posting comments, you agree to our
AZPM encourages comments, but comments that contain profanity, unrelated information, threats, libel, defamatory statements, obscenities, pornography or that violate the law are not allowed. Comments that promote commercial products or services are not allowed. Comments in violation of this policy will be removed. Continued posting of comments that violate this policy will result in the commenter being banned from the site.

By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.
AZPM is a service of the University of Arizona and our broadcast stations are licensed to the Arizona Board of Regents who hold the trademarks for Arizona Public Media and AZPM. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Arizona