Employment Still in Nosedive
Record levels of claims continue to be filed.

On March 19th, the downtown Milwaukee Punch Bowl Social laid off 91 employees. Photo by Jennifer Rick.
After nearly three months of the COVID-19 pandemic, unemployment across the country continues to worsen.
Since the beginning of March, approximately 25 percent of the country’s labor force has filed for unemployment. Last week, the country saw 2.1 million new unemployment claims, bringing the total since the beginning of March to 41.2 million.
And this figure does not actually capture the full picture of joblessness in the country. As Heidi Shierholz, a former chief economist for the U.S. Department of Labor, has written, “independent contractors, those who don’t have long enough work histories, those who had to quit work to care for a child whose school closed, and more,” are not captured in the numbers of new unemployment claims.
Over the past seven days, Wisconsin saw one of the lowest numbers for new unemployment claims during a seven day period since early March. However, it still completely outstrips anything the state normally sees.
Over the past seven days the state saw 22,084 new unemployment claims. During that same seven day period last year, the state saw 3,591. Since March 15, Wisconsin has seen 606,556 new unemployment claims. Which is equivalent to approximately 20 percent of the labor force.
Both the national and state figures are down from last week when they were 2.4 million and 28,525 respectively.
Meanwhile in Madison, state officials are now fighting over who is to blame with software and staffing issues with the state unemployment system.
If you think stories like this are important, become a member of Urban Milwaukee and help support real, independent journalism. Plus you get some cool added benefits, all detailed here.
More about the Coronavirus Pandemic
- WI Daily: 464 New COVID-19 Cases - Urban Milwaukee - Feb 28th, 2021
- WI Daily: 689 New COVID-19 Cases - Urban Milwaukee - Feb 27th, 2021
- HDA Statement on FDA Authorization of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine - Healthcare Distribution Alliance - Feb 27th, 2021
- Gallagher Statement on Pelosi’s Payout - U.S. Rep Mike Gallagher - Feb 27th, 2021
- MKE County: COVID-19 Declining to Summer Levels - Graham Kilmer - Feb 26th, 2021
- State Launches Vaccine Provider Map - Graham Kilmer - Feb 26th, 2021
- WI Daily: 656 New COVID-19 Cases - Urban Milwaukee - Feb 26th, 2021
- Supervisor Martin Calls on State Officials to Prioritize District 7 in Vaccination Effort - Sup. Felesia Martin - Feb 26th, 2021
- WI Daily: 840 New COVID-19 Cases - Urban Milwaukee - Feb 25th, 2021
- Evers Signs Bill on Unemployment System - Laurel White - Feb 25th, 2021
Read more about Coronavirus Pandemic here