KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) – The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce reported 16,554 new unemployment compensation claims were filed across the state in the week ending on Jan. 2, the most filed in a single week since late July.
The surge in new claims comes ahead of distribution of new federal pandemic unemployment compensation benefits.
Tennessee began paying out $300 federal pandemic unemployment compensation benefits Monday, Jan. 4. The benefit can provide up to 11 weeks of benefits through March 13.
Total claims statewide are 51,816, an increase of 6,590 from last week.
In Knox County, data shows 616 new claims were filed, with 2,564 claims continuing.
A total of 980,983 claims have been filed since the start of the pandemic in March.
Click here for county-level unemployment claim data.
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