Unemployment claims in Lincoln County and across Oregon continued to skyrocket this week.
Thursday, the Oregon Employment Department announced there were 1,076 new unemployment claims in Lincoln County for the week ending April 4.
For the second week of March — before the governor’s order on movement and business activity took effect — there were 33 unemployment claims in Lincoln County. By March 21 that increased tenfold to 301 claims, then more than doubling to 695 for the week of March 28.
Last fall, according to the state, there were 18,823 workers in Lincoln County.
Across Oregon, the agency reported that it fielded a record 100,700 claims last week statewide, up from record levels in each of the prior two weeks. Altogether, the state has received nearly 270,000 claims in the past three weeks – equivalent to 13.4 percent of all the jobs in the state.
By comparison, Oregon suffered fewer than 150,000 job losses throughout the Great Recession.
The industry with the most unemployment claims in Lincoln County in the past two weeks has been in the hospitality sector, as motels closed and restaurants switched to take out only or shut down, according to Shawna Sykes, workforce analyst for northwest Oregon, including Lincoln County. Claims for health care and social assistance workers were second highest as hospitals or doctor’s offices began cancelling elective surgeries and laying off workers not involved in direct patient care.
In Lincoln County, 348 of the 695 claims the week of March 28 were from hospitality workers, compared with just nine two weeks earlier. For the week ending April 4 there were another 377 claims by laid-off hospitality workers.
Health care layoffs totaled 68 on March 28, compared with none just two weeks earlier. Another 68 health care workers filed claims for the week ending April 4.
Because of the continuing layoffs and because of an influx of donations, Yachats Community Presbyterian Church announced Thursday that beginning next week it will increase to $300 per person its cash help to displaced workers. Workers need to show they live in the Yachats area and have a note from their former employer. If they’ve already collected $100 or $200, they can stop by the church from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays to claim another $100 or $200.
The church has so far raised $70,000 and helped nearly 200 people with up to $200 in cash, said Pastor Bob Barrett. Donations are still being accepted via the church’s website, by mail to YCPC, P.O. Box 285, Yachats, or at the church office on West Seventh Street. The donation total does not include up to $5,000 pledged by the city of Yachats if people turn in receipts of $25 or more spent at Yachats businesses.
The church, which has taken over operation of the community food bank, has been serving 30 people a day, Barrett said, and on Wednesday 46 people participated in the church’s blood drive for the American Red Cross.
