Unemployment rises slightly as coronavirus cases increase

New jobless claims rose nationally and slightly in Michigan as people potentially face more layoffs from uptick in coronavirus cases heading into the holiday season.

Initial jobless claims for the week ending Nov. 14 were 742,000 nationally, and higher than the roughly 700,000 new claims that analysts had expected, according to numbers released Thursday by the U.S. Labor Department.

In Michigan, new jobless claims rose slightly to 15,469, up from the adjusted 15,320 new claims filed the previous week.

But continuing jobless claims – those already in the system – continue to fall in Michigan, now down to 168,941 for the week ending Nov. 7, the latest available,

from 187,648 the week before.

More people have been going back to work, driving the state’s unemployment rate down to 3.92%, but the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency this week announced new guidance for workers who have been laid off, returned to work, and may face lay

off again in the face of rising coronavirus cases that may lead to further restrictions on movement out and about.

Workers who have previously been laid off and are laid off again should reopen the claim they had before using their same log-in and password, the agency said.

More information on filing or reopening an unemployment claim, including FAQs, tutorial videos and other resources is available at Michigan.gov/UIA.

The state unemployment

insurance agency notes that it is in a better position to process claims than last March and April when shut-downs and layoffs sent unemployment claims skyrocketing to record levels.

“The UIA has increased capacity, improved workf low, and other internal systems, and reduced red tape to meet the unprecedented level of claims that have been filed since the pandemic began,” said UIA Acting Director Liza Estlund Olson. “These efforts

have positioned the agency to better deal with large fluctuations of demand if necessary.”

Laid- off workers during the pandemic have benefited from federal programs that boosted unemployment compensation and extended benefits.

But the programs that boosted unemployment pay expired in July and August, and other federal programs that extended benefits past the traditional weeks allowed by state unemploy

ment systems are set to expire after Christmas.

The Century Foundation estimates that 12 million people will lose their benefits when the remaining federal programs expire. Nationally, about 2.9 million might be able to transition to a state extended benefit program that can last from six to 20 weeks, the Foundation said. But the rest will lose benefits.