More Than 190K New Yorkers File For Unemployment

NEW YORK CITY — More than 190,000 New Yorkers applied for unemployment last week as national joblessness rates reached 41 million, the highest since the Great Depression, U.S. Department of Labor data show.

New York State had 192,193 people file initial advanced claims for unemployment benefits during the week ending on May 23, according to the report released Thursday.

That's 31,769 less than the 223,962 to file in New York State the week prior.

To keep up to date with coronavirus developments in NYC, sign up for Patch's news alerts and newsletter.

New York saw a 1656.26 percent increase in unemployment claims since the start of the coronavirus crisis, according to the personal finance website WalletHub.

Read More: 41 Million Have Lost Jobs To Coronavirus

On a national level, jobless claims have now fallen for eight straight weeks, but about 41 million people have applied for aid since the virus outbreak intensified in March.

The national jobless rate was 14.7 percent in April, the highest since the Great Depression, and many experts expect it will near 20 percent in May.

However, the Labor Department’s report Thursday shows that they are not all still unemployed. Around 21 million people are currently receiving unemployment benefits.

Coronavirus In NYC: Latest Happenings And Guidance

Email PatchNYC@patch.com to reach a Patch reporter or fill out this anonymous form to share your coronavirus stories. All messages are confidential.