A closed sign in Engelberg Antiks in downtown Salem on Thursday, March 19. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter)
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The number of people seeking unemployment benefits in Marion and Polk counties doubled in just one week, according to the latest data released Thursday by the Oregon Employment Department.
Marion County logged a 138% increase, seeing the number of claims rise from 1,282 to 3,053. Polk County saw a 154% increase, seeing claims rise from 260 to 662.
But Patrick O’Connor, a regional economist with the Oregon Employment Department, said that numbers at the county level only reflect claims that have been processed, not all that have been filed.
The Employment Department figures showed 92,700 Oregonians filed for unemployment benefits last week, a 21% increase from the previous week. The state has seen record numbers of unemployment claims, as businesses have been shuttered in response to the novel coronavirus outbreak.
Oregon follows the rest of the country. Federal numbers released Thursday show a record 6.6 million people across the country filing initial claims last week.
The influx has created a backlog for the Employment Department. The department has hired more people to process claims, which involves verifying the eligibility of applicants and calculating their benefits.
Data detailing the full extent of the ongoing damage the outbreak has inflicted on the economy is still to come. The numbers released Thursday by the state reflected the 45,800 claims processed during the week starting March 22.
According to a department press release, the state’s hotels, restaurants and other hospitality businesses generated 15,500 claims, the largest number of any sector. Health care and social assistance workers were also a large source of claims at 7,600. Retail trade generated 4,600 as major retail chains such as Macy’s and JC Penney closed stores.
Harney and Tillamook counties saw the largest percentage increases from the previous week in unemployment claims at 221% and 220% respectively.
Contact reporter Jake Thomas at 503-575-1251 or [email protected] or @jakethomas2009.
