Florida had a nearly two-year high in unemployment claims during the first full week after Hurricane Helene hammered the state’s Gulf Coast and parts of North Florida. The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday estimated that 9,377 initial claims were filed in Florida during the week that ended Oct. 5, up from 5,535 claims during the week that ended Sept. 28.
The Category 4 Helene made landfall in Taylor County on Sept. 26. Until last week, the state had averaged 6,351 claims a week since the start of the year. Last week’s claims were the largest amount since 11,341 claims were filed during the week that ended Oct. 15, 2022.
The state experienced a spike in claims after Hurricane Ian hit Southwest Florida in late September 2022. Nationally, an estimated 258,000 claims were filed last week, up from 225,000 during the previous week. Other states that sustained damage in Helene, such as North Carolina, also saw increases in claims last week.
The national total was the most for a week since Aug. 5, 2023.