The number of New Yorkers seeking unemployment benefits jumped by 46,000—or approximately 33%—in the week following Superstorm Sandy when many workers were stranded at home and businesses closed.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday called the new figures a “significant increase” following a press conference held at the Javits Convention Center in Manhattan to tout Sears’ pledge to donate millions of dollars to storm relief efforts, including offering discounts for residents of Zone A.
“That is a troubling sign,” said Mr. Cuomo of the rising unemployment benefit applications. “We don’t know [why] yet, but it is not a good sign.”
Between 140,000 and 150,000 New Yorkers had been receiving benefits in recent months until Hurricane Sandy ravaged Staten Island, the Rockaways in Queens and other parts of New York City.
Among the 46,000 additional people who called into the Department of Labor to file for unemployment benefits in the week after Sandy were more than 3,000 people who are receiving federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance, a Department of Labor spokesman said. A broader range of people may receive assistance from the federal program.
The Department of Labor is actively encouraging people to apply for state and federal assistance, saying on its website that it encourages “anyone who is unemployed by Hurricane Sandy to apply.” That includes a fairly broad array of people, according to the website, including those injured in the disaster, whose workplace was damaged or destroyed, who can’t get to work, or were about to begin work but now cannot.
Mr. Cuomo said that the economic impact of the storm could make it harder to fill a budget gap that was already expected to be $1 billion. Mr. Cuomo called on leaders in the state Senate to resolve their standoff over control of the chamber. Democrats won a slim majority of seats earlier this month but the balance of power remains unclear because some Democrats have threatened to caucus with Republicans. The state Legislature is scheduled to reconvene in January.
“This is not the time to put internal politics above government functioning well,” Mr. Cuomo said.
