COLUMBUS, Ind. — Unemployment claims in Bartholomew County nearly doubled over the latter half of June, following the same general trend seen statewide.
A total of 466 people in Bartholomew County filed initial unemployment claims the week ending June 27, compared to 255 the week ending June 13, according to new figures released by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.
Continued claims, however, continued to decline, reaching 2,293 the week ending June 20 — the lowest since business shutdowns due to the pandemic caused a Depression-era spike in unemployment but still extraordinarily high.
The spike in local claims follows a similar pattern seen statewide, which has led state officials to suspect fraud might be to blame for the number of initial unemployment filings more than doubling in recent weeks, according to The Associated Press.
For more on this story, see Wednesday’s Republic.
