Unemployment claims filed in Stephens County cross the 600 mark

The past three week’s statistics find 86 additional individuals filing for unemployment bringing the total in the county to 602 compared to 20 claims in 2019, according to a recent graph by Texas Workforce Commission.

The increased numbers are thought to be due to the COVID-19 pandemic, shortage with the oil and gas market from the Russia and Saudi governments oil price war.

The numbers started to increase in mid-March jumping from one claim for the week of March 14 to twelve claims by March 21. That number nearly doubled with 23 additional claims for the week of March 28.

Numbers have steadily increased with 30 more unemployment claims filed for the week of April 4 and 33 additional claims filed for the week of April 11. 36 more claims were filed for the week of April 18 and 24 additional claims were filed for the week of April 25.

In the two weeks of May 2 and May 9, 62 additional claims were filed.

Statistics show 49 additional claims filed for the week of May 16 and since May 16, 68 additional claims have been filed between the weeks of May 23 and May 30.

For June, 43 additional individuals filed claims for the weeks of June 6 and 13. June 20 found an additional 19 citizens file unemployment claims bringing the total to 400.

The three week period for the end of June and early July was 70 total individuals. For the week of June 27, 18 individuals filed unemployment claims which were a decrease in the statistics. 52 individuals have filed claims within the two weeks of July 4 and July 11.

The number began to decrease in late July and early August with weekly statistics showing 14 claims in the week of July 25, 16 claims for the week of August 1.

But, numbers begin to increase after early August with 16 claims for August 8, 20 for August 15, and 21 for the week of August 22. The previous two weeks of August 22 and September 5, saw an increase of 29 additional individuals, bringing the total to 602.

Statistics from the Texas Workforce Commissioner are released once a week and do not include statistics from late the previous two weeks.