N.J. unemployment claims rise due to school-related filings; state issues data amid federal shutdown
TRENTON, N.J. — Initial unemployment insurance claims in New Jersey rose sharply during the week ending Nov. 8, largely due to seasonal school-related filings, the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) announced Thursday.
Initial claims totaled 12,980, an increase of 34.1 percent from the previous week’s 9,678 claims. The department said the uptick was primarily driven by school districts being closed during the report week. The total closely mirrors the comparable week last year, when 12,103 claims were filed.
Continued claims — representing weeks of benefits claimed by individuals already approved for unemployment insurance — reached 91,910, up 2.3 percent from the previous week and 0.9 percent above the same week last year.
Due to the ongoing federal government shutdown, the U.S. Department of Labor has been unable to release its regular economic reports. As a result, NJDOL said it is using internal administrative data to ensure continuity and provide timely labor market insights.
“This release represents the Department’s commitment to transparency and informed decision-making,” NJDOL said.
The unemployment figures do not include federal employees who have filed claims since being furloughed. Since the shutdown began on Oct. 1, NJDOL has received more than 2,050 claims from affected federal workers and non-federal workers impacted by the shutdown.
Federal workers seeking unemployment information can visit MyUnemployment.nj.gov/federal.
Additional digital career resources are available through the state’s employment portal at MyCareer.nj.gov.
