Unemployment claims spike in Bartholomew County

Unemployment claims skyrocketed in Bartholomew County during the third week of March, and will likely rise substantially more this week.

Due to the COVID-19 virus, there were 690 first-time claims filed in the Columbus area during the week ending March 21, according to the Indiana Dept. of Workforce Development.

That figure is a staggering 4,500% jump from the 17 initial claims filed the previous week.

During the early part of the third week of March, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb ordered that all dine-in areas of restaurants be closed, although drive-through and pickup were still allowed to operate.  Over the course of the week, other closings were announced that included libraries, day care centers, indoor recreational facilities, as well as cultural and entertainment venues.

All levels of government were announcing they were limiting face-to-face access to staff, with many government workers choosing to work remotely by home.

In addition, some private medical and dental facilities reduced their hours, which caused some staff members to either experience reduced hours or a temporary furlough.

For more on this story, see Wednesday’s Republic.