Monday Numbers: For North Carolina, a devastating year for job losses

As 2020 draws to a close, the COVID-19 pandemic continues have a devastating economic impact on North Carolinians. Many businesses remain closed or are operating at limited capacity; some have closed permanently. More than 1.3 million North Carolinians applied for benefits between March 15 and Dec. 16, according to data released last week by the N.C. Department of Commerce’s Division of Employment Security. More than 40,000 people filed claims last week alone.

Today, a by-the-numbers look at unemployment claims in North Carolina according to the most recent data.

(Source: N.C. Department of Commerce, Division of Employment Security)

1,377,182 — Number of people who applied for unemployment benefits between March 15 and Dec.16

38,094 — Number of claims filed from Dec. 10-16

2,933,497 — Number of claims filed over that same period. The number of claims is higher than the total number of people filing because different benefit programs require separate claims.

$8,970,817,668 — Total paid for claims across various programs

$1,788,698,912 — from State Unemployment Insurance

$718,010,891 — in Pandemic Emergency Unemployment compensation

$4,829,721,962 —  in federal Pandemic Unemployment compensation.

$184,252,010 — in extended benefits

$744,289,304 — in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance funds

$588,903,130 — in Lost Wages Assistance funds

$116,941,459 — in increased benefit amount

68% — share of claimants approved for state unemployment benefits, or a total of 945,043

31% — share of claimants found to be ineligible for state unemployment benefits, or a total of 423,541

1% — share of claimants whose cases are still pending for state benefits, or a total of 7,455

1% — share of claimants not approved for state benefits and whose cases pending resolution for federal benefits, or a total of 11,143