Michigan’s COVID “pause” has led to rise in unemployment

New unemployment data shows something many people had expected: The temporary shutdown of many restaurants and bars in the state two weeks ago has led to a spike in unemployment claims.

In Michigan, 21,493 people filed for unemployment insurance for the week ending November 28. That’s in addition to 32,499 people who made a claim during the previous week. State officials said the increase was due to “layoffs in the accommodation and food services industry.”

Prior to the COVID-19 orders, Michigan was averaging about 13,000 new claims per week. The rise in claims is the highest it’s been since July, though still short of the record-breaking unemployment numbers seen during the spring shutdown.

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