Since the coronavirus pandemic led to hundreds of thousands of New Jersey workers to apply for unemployment one year ago, the state Labor Department has paid out $24.8 billion in benefits.
And another 10,242 people filed new unemployment claims for the week ending March 14, a slight rise from the prior week, which was the first time initial claims fell below 10,000 since the pandemic began.
Federal data released this week also shows the state added 900 jobs in February as the unemployment rate rose to 7.9%, among the highest in the nation.
Thousands of claimants will soon begin to hit the end of their benefit year, which would typically require people to open a new claim. Because so many current claimants would have to open a new claim, the state Labor Department automated the process to review claims, as required by federal law.
New Jersey is the only state to automate these reviews and automatically file a claim on behalf of people, the department said.
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“As we reach the grim anniversary of the shutdowns and layoffs caused by the pandemic, our commitment to our workforce has never been stronger,” said Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo. “If you have been unemployed for a year, if your benefits have stopped and you don’t know why, or if you need new skills to re-enter the job market, I want you to know we are working day and night to serve you as quickly as possible.”
Over the last year, an unprecedented 2 million unemployment claims have been filed, and 96% have received at least one payment. But the clunky website, old technology and short staffing led to major hurdles in distributing benefits to New Jersey’s unemployed workers.
Residents reported going months without income, but the department maintains these were unique cases. Most recently, the Labor Department took weeks to program an 11-week extension, in part because the second stimulus package was signed after the previous relief package lapsed.
Yet the state Labor Department says it “seamlessly” delivered benefits funded by the American Rescue Plan — funding weekly $300 payments through Sept. 4 and extending federal programs — to nearly all claimants.
The department distributed $468 million in benefits for the week, including $24 million in FEMA-funded Lost Wages Assistance payments for claimants who became eligible since the last time payments were processed. Another final round of payments will be made this weekend to close out the program, which New Jersey received $1.5 billion.
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Sophie Nieto-Munoz may be reached at snietomunoz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her at @snietomunoz.
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