New Unemployment Data Shows Pandemic Still Putting North Carolinians Out of Work

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

July 23, 2020

New Unemployment Data Shows Pandemic Still Putting North Carolinians Out of Work

GOP Plan to Ditch $600 Federal Unemployment Payments is a Pay Cut For Struggling Workers as Thousands Continue to Lose Jobs

Raleigh, N.C. - According to the Department of Labor, 28,323 North Carolinians filed initial claims for unemployment last week. Over the past several weeks, new claim numbers have held steady, indicating that thousands of North Carolinians continue to lose their jobs because of the on-going pandemic, while expanded federal unemployment insurance is set to expire next week.

Reports indicate that the Senate GOP has yet to settle on a plan for extending federal unemployment, with some speculation that Republicans may attempt to cut payments down to $200 per week. If federal unemployment insurance disappears, average weekly payments in North Carolina will drop from $877 to just $277.

“There shouldn’t be any confusion about the need for Senator Tillis and Senator Burr to fully extend $600 federal unemployment payments to hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians struggling during this pandemic,” said Piedmont Rising Executive Director Casey Wilkinson. “While Washington may have forgotten it, we’re still in the middle of a public health crisis, and North Carolinians are still losing their jobs. Tillis and Burr must extend federal unemployment and ensure that North Carolinians are able to afford safe housing, food, and their prescription drugs.”

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