Massachusetts Coronavirus: 140,000 File For Unemployment

BOSTON — The number of Massachusetts residents applying for first-time unemployment benefits during the week that ended April 11 was 139,647, according to Thursday's U.S. Department of Labor report.

While that figure was down from last week, more people are staying on unemployment rolls in Massachusetts. As of April 11, 310,211 Massachusetts residents were collecting unemployment insurance, up from 127,106 the prior week and 239,270 during the same week last year.

Nationally, the number of people filing for unemployment fell to 5.25 million in the week ending April 11, compared to 6.61 million the previous week. With this week's jobless claims, the new coronavirus pandemic has wiped out the more than 21 million U.S. jobs created since the end of the Great Recession. Before the unprecedented unemployment claims started three weeks ago, the worst week for national unemployment claims was 695,000 in 1982.

The new unemployment numbers come in the same week Massachusetts lawmakers were warned the state economy could slip into a depression. During a hearing Tuesday, a policy analyst estimated that 500,000 more Massachusetts workers could be laid off or furloughed by July. That equates to a 14 percent drop in employment in just five months. By comparison, during the worst five-month stretch of the Great Recession, employment declined by 78,000, or 2.4 percent.

Don't miss updates about precautions in your area as they are announced. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters.

This week's numbers were anticipated; earlier this week the Massachusetts Department of Labor said 17 Massachusetts companies laid off or furloughed 2,369 workers for the week ending April 10.

The biggest weekly claims number in Massachusetts during the Great Recession came in December 2008, when 22,028 people filed for unemployment during a single week. In 2008, however, layoffs came in waves over the course of several months.

More Coronavirus Coverage On Massachusetts Patch:

• How Many Coronavirus Cases Are There In Your Town?
• Coronavirus Death Toll May Be Higher Than Official Count
• Massachusetts Lawmakers Warn Of Possible Depression
• Mapping Massachusetts Coronavirus: Where Are State's ICU Beds?

Dave Copeland writes for Patch and can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).