From the NJDOL:

1.4M Applications Have Been Received Since Mid-March

TRENTON – The Department of Labor and Workforce Development has issued $10.7 billion in benefits to unemployed and underemployed New Jersey workers since the COVID-19 pandemic stalled the state’s economy 17 weeks ago.

Last week alone, the department disbursed $825 million in state and federal income replacement benefits, including $2.2 million in the first week of state extended benefit payments. Double-digit unemployment amid COVID-19 has triggered 20 weeks of extended benefits the state is permitted by federal law to offer to those who have exhausted all other state and federal unemployment aid without returning to work permanently.

“In times of economic distress and employment uncertainty, it’s important to be able to offer an additional 20-week safety net to our residents who remain out of work through no fault of their own,” said Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo. “Everyone receiving unemployment will automatically be rolled over to the extended program when their benefits expire. They do not have to make a phone call or go online, except to keep certifying for benefits every week.”
Also last week, 38,150 initial unemployment applications were received, bringing the total to nearly 1.4 million initial claims since mid-March. The 20 percent week-over-week decrease in initial claims is due, in part, to fewer school-related and state employee claims, a big driver of the claims spike for the week ending July 4.

The number of applicants who have met the earnings requirements to receive benefits has risen to 1.2 million, with 96 percent of them having received payment.

The weekly totals of new unemployment claims are:

Below is the weekly breakdown of  payments (in millions):

NA: Benefit not applicable during the indicated weeks.

FPUC, PUA and PEUC are federal programs authorized by Congress under the CARES Act. Per federal law, the FPUC program, which provides an additional $600 per week in assistance, will end on July 25. Federal law does not allow states to pay this benefit beyond this date. If an eligible claim is pending or awaiting further review, and the claimant has completed all weekly certifications prior to July 25, they will retroactively receive their benefits, as well as the FPUC payments, when the claim processes.

PUA provides benefits to newly eligible populations such as self-employed workers, independent contractors and those who do not have enough recent earnings to qualify for regular unemployment benefits, as well as for newly qualifying reasons such as being unable to work because due to caring for others or for their own COVID-19 illness. Those benefits expire at the end of the year, with a maximum of 46 weeks earned, including extended benefits. PEUC provides 13 weeks of federal benefits for those who have exhausted 26 weeks of state unemployment.   State extended benefits automatically offers an additional 20 weeks of assistance once PEUC ends.

For more information on state or federal unemployment programs, visit myunemployment.nj.gov.

Claimants collecting unemployment must certify for benefits each week to continue to receive payments. Information on certifying for unemployment can be found here: https://myunemployment.nj.gov/labor/myunemployment/schedule.shtml

Anyone looking for work is encouraged to visit New Jersey’s jobs portal — jobs.covid19.nj.gov — which matches jobseekers with immediate openings in industries such as food distribution, warehousing and health care.

For national unemployment data, visit https://www.dol.gov/ui/data.pdf. For archived NJ claims data, visit https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/DataDashboard.asp.

*This represents the final number for the week ended July 11. The number listed for NJ by US Department of Labor – 37,336 – is based on advanced reporting.