The Connecticut Department of Labor says it's now received more than a million applications for unemployment benefits since the start of the pandemic. Commissioner Kurt Westby describes that as “a milestone no one wanted to get to.” The Department says it has distributed more than $5 bn in benefits across both state and federal programs. Just under a quarter of a million people remain on unemployment currently. Westby said over the seven months of the crisis his department has received more applications than it normally would in eight years.
Harriet Jones is Managing Editor for Connecticut Public Radio, overseeing the coverage of daily stories from our busy newsroom.