Jobless claims double in Kansas, Missouri as nearly 160,000 lost work last week
Nearly 160,000 people in Kansas and Missouri filed new unemployment claims last week — more than double the figures from the week before.
It’s more evidence of the economic toll of the coronavirus pandemic, which has shut down many parts of the U.S. economy. The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday reported a record 6.6 million seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims for the week ending March 28. That was up from the previous week’s 3.3 million jobless claims.
Kansas reported 55,428 new unemployment claims for last week, up from the 23,925 new claims filed the week before. While service workers have been hit particularly hard in recent weeks, losses in manufacturing continued to mount: That sector saw 15,544 new claims, nearly one-third of all new jobless claims in the state last week.
Missouri reported 104,230 new unemployment claims for the week ending March 28. That’s up from 42,207 the week prior. Missouri does not release industry specific data on weekly unemployment claims.
Congress passed and President Donald Trump last week signed into law a $2 trillion relief package that will provide a one-time, $1,200 check to American workers making up to $75,000 a year. Families will receive an additional $500 per child.
It also significantly boosts the amount and duration of unemployment benefits. The federal government will extend benefits to 39 weeks, up from the standard 26-week cap.
States will have an additional $600 per week for displaced workers. Kansas unemployment benefits are normally capped at $488 per week. Missouri’s maximum benefit is ordinarily $320 per week.
U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Missouri, called the national unemployment figures “staggering” on Twitter Thursday. He said they point to the need for more economic relief from the federal government.
Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kansas, echoed that sentiment, noting that each number represents “a real person who is hurting right now.”
“Congress has passed three emergency response packages to provide some relief to working people, and I’m fighting for that relief to be implemented quickly and without government red tape,” Davids said in a statement Thursday. “It’s clear that much more work needs to be done, and I’ll continue to prioritize the needs of our workers and families in future legislation.”
The numbers of the newly unemployed have overwhelmed call centers in both states.
The Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations’ division of employment security has hired temporary workers and has authorized overtime for agency staff to help manage the increased workload. The department has also incorporated additional server capacity and phone connections.
The best and fastest way to file a new claim is online at UInteract.labor.mo.gov.
“Our staff is taking an unprecedented number of phone calls, but many calls are related to questions and new law changes and not the filing of a claim. This consumes precious staff time and blocks assistance to those who need to file a claim, but do not have access to the internet,” said division director Chris Slinkard in a news release Thursday.
He said the state did not yet have the federal guidance needed to award the extra $600 per week in benefits approved by Congress and the president.
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said Tuesday that the state had doubled its call center capacity, extended hours and added phone lines. It was dispatching employees from other agencies in what the governor described as “an all hands on deck approach.”
On Thursday, she acknowledged the volume of calls to the state labor department continued to clog phone lines for affected workers. On Monday alone, the state received 877,000 attempted calls.
“I know it’s been extremely difficult to get through on the phone and for that I’m sorry,” Kelly said at her daily news conference.
She emphasized that the best way to apply for unemployment benefits is online at getkansasbenefits.gov.
The governor said the labor department is hiring back old employees and that workers from other agencies are being sent to help field calls. She also said her team is scrambling to implement what she called “long overdue” systems upgrades to allow the department to better handle the call volume.
“Years of neglect and underfunding have taken their toll on this agency and these critical systems and unfortunately we’re not going to get back overnight, either,” Kelly said.
The Star’s Jonathan Shorman and Bryan Lowry contributed to this story.
This story was originally published April 2, 2020 at 8:37 AM.
