Unemployment Payments to NJ Workers Top $20 Billion

The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development has distributed a record $20 billion in wage replacement benefits in the 39 weeks since COVID-19 abruptly shuttered businesses and schools around the state.

The figure includes state payments and federal benefits authorized under the CARES Act, which enabled a whole new population of workers – including those who are self-employed or who can’t work because of COVID-19 – to collect, even if they never paid into the Unemployment Trust Fund. CARES Act funds expire on Dec. 26 unless Congress approves a new stimulus bill.

The Department received 16,368 new applications for unemployment during the week of Dec. 12, a slight (3.8 percent) decrease from the prior week. The total number of New Jersey workers having filed for unemployment since mid-March now stands at 1.86 million. The average benefit per claimant now exceeds $14,000.

“When we began the year at almost full employment, it was unfathomable we would be nearing year’s end having given out more than $20 billion in unemployment benefits to workers in need,” said Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo. “We are now getting ready to distribute additional aid, and are hopeful Congress will act.”

The Department is also preparing to process another round of FEMA $300 Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) payments this weekend for newly eligible claimants. Those benefits will reach the debit cards and bank accounts of recipients before Christmas.