Iowa's daily jobless claims on par with 'what we would receive in a busy month'

Iowa is facing “an unprecedented” number of unemployment claims as the fallout of coronavirus and efforts to stem its spread continues to rock the economy, Iowa Workforce Development Director Beth Townsend said.

Callers are encountering lengthy waits, and the agency that handles unemployment claims is trying to train 162 staffers to ease the workload, Townsend said.

“It’s pretty staggering to see the number of claims that we’re receiving,” Townsend said Friday. “Essentially, what we’re receiving on a daily basis is what we would receive in a busy month.”

Townsend said they would not release the unemployment numbers until next week to make sure they are accurate. They will coordinate the release through the governor’s office.

The New York Times reported Friday that the U.S. Department of Labor is telling state officials to “provide information using generalities to describe claims levels (very high, large increase)” and specifically “should not provide numeric values to the public.”

Gov. Kim Reynolds and Townsend denied receiving that advisement from the Trump administration.

“It’s just important that we report accurate information, and it is so fluid and even sometimes what I say today is different tomorrow, based on new data that has come in,” Reynolds said.

The governor's office clarified after the Friday news conference that next week is when February's unemployment numbers are normally released. Reynolds didn't start to activate state emergency operations until March 7, and no Iowans tested positive for COVID-19 until March 8.

Molly Elder, a spokesperson for the IWD, said the effects of the pandemic won't be reflected in the official monthly numbers until the April unemployment figures are released in May.

Iowa's unemployment rate in January, the most recent data available, was 2.8%.

In response to the pandemic, Iowa has waived requirements on searching for work and suspended fact-finding related to claims — though employers are still notified of them — to make it easier for affected workers. The state is aiming to get money to them within seven to 10 days.

People eligible to claim unemployment benefits include: those laid off because of the coronavirus' effect on the economy; those who need to stay home to self-quarantine or to care for family members with a coronavirus-related illness; and those who need to stay home to care for children affected by the closures of day cares and schools.

The state is also trying to make sure employees in front-line industries, such as health care, emergency services and food production, have access to child care, Reynolds said. Officials will be releasing guidelines soon and are working to develop alternative child care facilities, she said.

Reynolds held Friday's news conference hours after she announced that Iowa suspended the collection of some fees on property taxes and halted most evictions, through a series of relaxed regulations aimed at helping Iowans affected by the coronavirus.

Reynolds announced the temporary changes through a state public health emergency declaration that went into effect immediately.

Reynolds has said she did not see the need to issue what's been called a shelter-in-place order, as some other states have done. On Thursday, California ordered all residents "to stay in their houses as much as possible," and Pennsylvania ordered all "non-life sustaining businesses" to close. On Friday, New York banned all non-essential travel, and Illinois issued a stay-at-home order.

Here, Reynolds is relying on Iowans to limit social gatherings, keep a safe distance from others and stay home if they feel ill. She has prohibited gatherings of more than 10 people.

The total COVID-19 cases in Iowa increased by one between Thursday and Friday, Reynolds announced. The total is now at 45.

► Coronavirus in Iowa: Get the latest news and information from the Register's team of reporters

► More: Iowa suspends property tax collection, evictions; relaxes or extends deadlines on regulations in reaction to coronavirus outbreak

► More: Des Moines area restaurants offering delivery and carry-out amid the coronavirus outbreak

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CORRECTION: The governor's office today released a correction to its initial statement to say the state would suspend penalties and interest as it relates to the collection of property taxes.

Nick Coltrain is a politics and data reporter for the Register. Reach him at ncoltrain@registermedia.com or at 515-284-8361.

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