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People idled by virus fallout seek unemployment benefits, look for other jobs

Many people in North Carolina are facing or fearing layoffs as local businesses and schools close to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. But North Carolina has various resources available to help them.

Posted Updated

By
Aaron Thomas
, WRAL reporter
RALEIGH, N.C. — Many people in North Carolina are facing or fearing layoffs as local businesses and schools close to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

But North Carolina has various resources available to help them.

Officials from the state Division of Employment Security said they’ve already seen more than 4,700 unemployment claims related to the virus. As the state works to determine who gets benefits, job resource centers are helping people get back on their feet.

Sylvia Durham, who works as a school bus driver for the Wake County Public School System, is among those seeking help.

"We're taking off work until the end of the month," Durham said Wednesday, noting that public schools statewide have been ordered closed for at least the next two weeks.

"You have to stay on top of being ready to be unemployed," she said after filing an application for unemployment insurance.

"I'm one of those people that lives paycheck to paycheck. I found out a lot of people are in my situation," she said. "That’s why I'm in here, going at it to see what is available in terms of what kind of assistance you can get when these types of problems come up unexpectedly."

Applications can now be completed online or over the phone. Applicants need to have their Social Security numbers and details about their most recent employer to file.
Durham also stopped by the Capital Area Workforce Development office to look for additional work.

Spokeswoman Brenda Wilkerson said the job resource center is focused on providing help online to promote social distancing.

"They can get help with resumes. They can get help with labor market information, like what are the growing jobs now, what are the labor jobs being paid where I live," Wilkerson said.

"In the last day or so, we have seen quite an increase in the number of calls that we’re getting," she added. "It’s important that you still go out and look because many [businesses] are still hiring, just certain sectors may not be."

Financial experts recommend saving money, reducing expenses and looking for work that can be done online to make up some of the income lost during the virus-related slowdown.

"You itemize. You see what, in terms of minimizing, you can do to really be so you can last that long," Durham said. "It’s really all about how much can you really fine tune your budget. That’s where I am."

Various banks said they're offering fee waivers and help with credit card payments during the crisis. Customers can call the numbers on the back of their cards for assistance.

"I have to stay positive it because there’s so many of us that are in the same situation," Durham said.

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