BREAKING: RI Unemployment Numbers Spike to 56K Tied to Coronavirus

BREAKING: RI Unemployment Numbers Spike to 56K Tied to Coronavirus

New numbers from the RI Department of Labor and Training report that 56,000 Rhode Islanders have filed for unemployment or temporary disability insurance.

The numbers show that in less than a month Rhode Island has transformed from near-record low unemployment to now what are record layoffs.

WATCH: Former RI Director of Health Dr. Michael Fine on GoLocal LIVE Each Day at 12 noon 

According to the Employment and Training Administration within the U.S. Department of Labor, “During the week ending March 14, the increase in initial claims are clearly attributable to impacts from the COVID-19 virus. A number of states specifically cited COVID-19 related layoffs, while many states reported increased layoffs in service-related industries broadly and in the accommodation and food services industries specifically, as well as in the transportation and warehousing industries, whether COVID-19 was identified directly or not.”

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