More records are set for unemployment claims in Delaware and nationally.
Delaware saw 18,897 unemployment claims last week, topping the record 10,790 filed the previous week. This weeks claims are again the highest level in 30 years of Department of Labor records.
Last week’s number, just like the prior week, eclipsed the highest total for any month since 1990, and it was higher than 8,948 at the peak of the 2008-09 recession.
Daryl Scott is the director of the Division of Unemployment Insurance in Delaware, and he says despite the surge in claims the last two weeks, the department is prepared.
"We've been tested, but we haven't broken," said Scott. "Everybody is showing up each day and committed to continue to do everything we can to process claims as quickly as possible and respond to your calls and emails as quickly as we can."
Nationally, unemployment claims doubled to almost 6.65 million last week, meaning nearly 10 million people have filed for unemployment in the last two weeks.
