Unemployment claims surged in Mississippi last week. 2 Coast counties had most in state.
Mississippi’s unemployment office is fielding more calls than ever from people seeking assistance due the coronavirus, though many who are applying are still unsure whether they qualify for the benefits.
“We received 6,000 calls yesterday,” Jackie Turner, director of the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, told the Sun Herald on Wednesday. “In a normal time, we might get 600 calls in a couple of days. We are experiencing an unprecedented workload.”
A total of 6,723 unemployment applications had been filed in Mississippi for the week ending March 21, according to the U.S. Employment and Training Administration. This figure includes people who live out of state but work in Mississippi.
Claims submitted last week from people who live in the state totaled 4,365, according to county-by-county data provided by MDES.
In Harrison County, 970 claims were submitted last week, the highest in the state. Jackson County had the second-highest amount of claims with 629. Hancock County had 132 claims submitted.
That number reflects an estimated 486% increase in the number of applications from the previous week. Those numbers are expected to soar even higher in the coming weeks, according to MDES.
Since people started filing claims due to the coronavirus-related layoffs, Turner said the office has experienced some issues with the phone lines. She said is aware of residents who are upset because they are having a hard time getting through to file claims, but said the system has been over-burdened and officials are working hard to take in all the claims.
“We are aware that people are having trouble,” she said, “I would ask for patience even though I know people are worried. We are training additional staff and we have temporary workers working as well. Be patient and know we are getting to you as fast as we can.”
Turner is encouraging residents with internet access to apply online.
In addition, she said, people will be able to call their local WIN Job Centers beginning Thursday to apply for assistance. The office will not be open to the public, she said, but applications can be placed in outdoor drop box that workers outfitted in gloves and other safety gear will pick up.
According to MDES, weekly unemployment benefits average about $213, which is among the lowest in the nation.
MDES has excluded the one-week waiting period to apply for unemployment and the requirement that residents must be looking for work while receiving benefits.
On Thursday, MDES said the following unemployed workers should apply for unemployment related to coronavirus:
- Those who are laid off or sent home without pay due the coronavirus.
- Those who are diagnosed with COVID-19.
- Those who are quarantined by health care professions due to the virus.
- Workers who are caring for an “immediate family member” with the coronavirus.
There has been some confusion over whether a worker with the virus or one caring for a worker with the illness is eligible for the unemployment benefits based on a list of frequently asked questions from MDES.
On Thursday, MDES received confirmation that those workers affected by coronavirus could apply for the benefits due to job loss.
The benefits typically cover a 26-week period based on a worker’s time on the job.
“If you are not sure if you are eligible, apply anyway,” Turner said. “We just ask that you remain patient while we get through this huge workload.”
Those who do apply are eligible to receive benefits that are retroactive to the date of the job loss.
Mississippi is just one of the states nationwide feeling the effects of employment due to the coronavirus.
On Thursday, the U.S. Labor Department said in a release that 2.8 million American workers filed for unemployment benefits last week. That’s an increase of an estimated 3 million filings from the week ending March 14, the release said
The majority of those filing for unemployment are in the service industry, which the Labor Department defined as mostly workers in the service industry, such as hotels and restaurants, along with others employees in some health care and social services, along others in jobs involving arts, entertainment, recreation, transportation, warehouse and manufacturing.
The increase is unemployment rates are all being attributed to the COVID-19 virus, the Labor Department said in its release.
To register for unemployment benefits in Mississippi, log on to the MDES website and follow the instructions or call 601-855-3133 or 888-844-3577. For questions, email cv19@mdes.ms.gov.
Residents can also call their local WIN Job Centers and drop off applications in drop boxes outside the centers.
Check back with the Sun Herald for latest updates on the unemployment figures in Mississippi. Those are expected to be released later Thursday.
This story was originally published March 26, 2020 at 3:05 PM with the headline "Unemployment claims surged in Mississippi last week. 2 Coast counties had most in state.."
