Initial unemployment insurance claims totaled 9,678 for the week ending Nov. 1, a 10.4% increase compared to the previous week, according to data released by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL).
Continued claims filed by individuals already approved for unemployment insurance benefits, totaled 89,846 for the week ending Nov. 1, which is 0.5% less than the previous week, and 1.6% less than the comparable week last year, NJDOL said.
Due to the ongoing federal government shutdown, the U.S. Department of Labor has not released employment data since its August report issued on Sept. 5. In response, NJDOL has been utilizing internal administrative data to maintain continuity in public reporting to assist with labor market insights.
The New Jersey unemployment claims data does not include federal employees who have applied for unemployment insurance benefits due to recent furloughs. Since the start of the federal government shutdown on Oct. 1, the NJDOL has received over 1,900 claims from federal workers and non-federal workers also impacted by the shutdown.
