A staggering 3.3 million Americans filed for initial jobless claims during the week that ended March 21, according to newly released Department of Labor statistics – an unprecedented figure. Of that, around 150,000 were in Massachusetts, alone.
Between March 15 and March 21, approximately 147,992 people filed an initial claim for unemployment insurance in our state, representing “an historically unprecedented increase” of 1,904 percent over the prior week,” according to the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOL).
That’s the highest number of initial jobless claims since the Department of Labor started tracking the data in 1967. The previous high was 695,000 claims filed in the week ending October 2, 1982.
The U.S. Department of Labor has issued guidance to the states instructing state agencies to apply existing unemployment law flexibly related to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
To assist individuals who cannot work due to the impact of COVID-19, the Baker-Polito administration has filed emergency legislation and emergency regulations that allow people impacted by COVID-19 to collect unemployment if their workplace is shut down.
If you have never filed for unemployment in Massachusetts before, and must do so now, visit https://www.mass.gov/doc/filing-a-new-unemployment-claim-covid-19/download
If you have filed in Massachusetts in the past, and are familiar with how to apply, visit https://www.mass.gov/applying-for-unemployment-benefits
According to mass.gov, to apply for unemployment, you need to provide personal information including your social security number, birth date, home address, email address (optional), and phone number.
You also need information about your employment history from the last 15 months, including:
- Names of all employers, plus addresses and phone numbers
- Reasons for leaving those jobs
- Work start and end dates
- Recall date (if you were laid off but have a set date to return to work)
You may need additional information in certain situations:
- If you are not a U.S. citizen — your Alien Registration number
- If you have children — their birth dates and Social Security numbers
- If you’re in a union — your union name and local number
- If you were in the military — your DD-214 Member 4 form. If you don’t have it, you can request your DD-214 online.
- If you worked for the federal government — your SF8 form (optional)
To receive payments by direct deposit, you’ll also need your bank name, account number, and routing number. Otherwise, the Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) will send you a debit card.
Although some state websites and phone systems have been overwhelmed by a crush of applicants, hindering many people who lost their jobs from being able to file for unemployment aid, Massachusetts has, thus far, maintained online functionality during the crisis, which EOL attributes to being the first state agency in the country to bring the unemployment system to the cloud a few years ago.
Gov. Baker also signed an emergency bill last week to cut unemployment checks faster by waiving a one-week waiting period to receive benefits. Those who are out of work are encouraged to apply for unemployment benefits on the state website, mass.gov, which has the latest guidance for employee qualifications and other information.
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