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California Logs Record Number Of Unemployment Claims
According to new data released today by the U.S. Department of Labor, the state of California processed close to 879,000 unemployment claims during the week of March 22 through 28.
The sharp spike in joblessness due to the coronavirus pandemic has seen more than a million Californians filing for unemployment since non-essential businesses started shutting down in mid-March.
As the California Legislative Analyst’s Office notes, that represents about 6% of the state’s total workforce.
The recent spike is already matching the total increase in unemployment California experienced during the entirety of the Great Recession. And experts say claims will most likely keep flooding in for weeks to come.
Governor Gavin Newsom is encouraging laid-off workers to visit a new website, OnwardCA.org, which aims to connect job-seekers with 70,000 openings in high-demand industries like healthcare, agriculture, logistics and groceries.
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