/ Modified may 19, 2020 3:36 p.m.

Federal program for self-employed leads to jump in Arizona unemployment numbers

First-time claims rose as the program opened up benefits to the self-employed, contractors and workers in the gig economy.

Jobs unemployment hero Newspaper classified listings.
AZPM Staff

Arizona’s first-time unemployment claims topped 108,000 for the week ending May 15. The number of first-time claims had been dropping for a month, but last week Arizona joined the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program.

The PUA allows the self-employed, contractors and those working in the gig economy — who are not usually eligible for unemployment — to receive benefits.

Self-employed Arizona residents filed 77,000 new claims the first week they were eligible for the program.

More than 300,000 Arizona residents continue to receive unemployment benefits. That number has steadily risen since the middle of March.

Arizona paid $519 million in unemployment benefits last week, a jump of $359,000. The increase includes back payments and the $600 in benefits added by the federal government as part of the CARES Act designed to boost the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

By posting comments, you agree to our
AZPM encourages comments, but comments that contain profanity, unrelated information, threats, libel, defamatory statements, obscenities, pornography or that violate the law are not allowed. Comments that promote commercial products or services are not allowed. Comments in violation of this policy will be removed. Continued posting of comments that violate this policy will result in the commenter being banned from the site.

By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.
AZPM is a service of the University of Arizona and our broadcast stations are licensed to the Arizona Board of Regents who hold the trademarks for Arizona Public Media and AZPM. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Arizona