May 14, 2020

Nebraska unemployment claims stable but higher than normal

Posted May 14, 2020 2:35 PM

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The number of Nebraskans filing new unemployment claims appears to be stabilizing but is still far higher than it was before the coronavirus pandemic.

The U.S. Department of Labor says Nebraska state officials received 6,408 new jobless claims during the week that ended March 9.

Last week, the state reported 6,418 claims.

The number of claims surged to a record 26,788 in early April and has slowly trended downward since.

Unemployment in Nebraska and nationally has surged as state governments imposed social distancing restrictions to try to keep the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming local hospitals.