LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A record 129,000 Michiganders filed claims for unemployment benefits last week amid fallout from jobs lost due to the virus outbreak.
The number of applications shattered the previous high of 77,000 in January 2009, during the Great Recession.
Applications for the week ending March 21 rose more than 23-fold from the week before and represent 3% of Michigan's total workers who are eligible for jobless benefits.
With layoffs mounting, a major expansion of unemployment benefits was included in an economic relief bill nearing final approval in Congress.
