Members of the state’s economic reopening task force got an unemployment update, and Democratic lawmakers want to direct federal aid to vulnerable populations.
More money has been paid in unemployment benefits in New Hampshire in the last 11 weeks than in the last eight years combined, the state’s deputy commissioner for employment security said Monday.
Just under $649 million has been paid since March 24, Richard Lavers told the governor’s economic reopening task force.
The federal government has paid 84% of that total.
While the number of new claims per week has been dropping, it’s still about 10 times the number of weekly claims filed before the coronavirus pandemic, he said.
Some hard-hit sectors are regaining their workers as restrictions have eased and businesses have reopened, he said. Restaurants, which lost nearly half their workers, are now at about 73% of their pre-pandemic employment levels. The lodging sector, which was down below 50% employment, is up to 62%.
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