FRANKFORT, Ky. — New Kentucky numbers on unemployment claims were as expected as the state saw more COVID-19 cases and stricter restrictions enforced by Gov. Andy Beshear.
According to the Labor Cabinet, total unresolved claims were 87,715 — a 14% jump from last week’s total of 75,219 unresolved claims.
FOCUS obtained the breakdown:
- March claims – 604
- April claims – 10,536
- May claims – 10,854
- June claims – 12,779
- July claims – 13,708
- August claims – 13,055
- September claims – 11,923
- October claims – 14,256
Kimberly Turner, 55, is a July unresolved claim filer.
“I have not seen a single dollar, not a dime,” she said.
Turner is going on 18 weeks without any income when, according to her monetary determination letter, she is supposed to get $569 per week for at least 26 weeks.
“It’s actually my money, so where is it?” she said.
Last week, FOCUS asked Beshear why unresolved claims remain consistently in the 70,000 to 80,000 range from week to week.
“Please know that each month that goes by bring new claims that we’re working on,” Beshear said.
We also made him aware about Kimberly Turner’s claim.
“Somebody in July that qualifies and not having it right now is not okay,” Beshear said.
Turner, however, is out of patience.
"We’re not in this together, we are not," she said. "He’s in a different place, he’s getting a paycheck, I am not. And I am not getting my unemployment to replace it, so that puts me in a very different place than Mr. Beshear."
Kentucky is not the only state seeing an increase, the U.S. continues to have high jobless claims as COVID-19 deaths and cases rise.
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