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Nearly 31,000 More Mainers Filed For Unemployment Last Week

Robert F. Bukaty
/
Associated Press
Women read a notice announcing the temporary closure of a Polo Ralph Lauren store, Tuesday, March 17, 2020, in Freeport, Maine.

Nearly 31,000 Mainers filed for unemployment last week, as the coronavirus continues to take a toll on the state's economy.

New figures from Maine's Department of Labor show that 30,899 claims were filed for the week ending April 4, breaking the previous week's record of 23,761 by more than 7,000.

The department has already taken steps to deal with the unprecedented number of claims, as businesses across the state remain shut down.  They include establishing an alphabetical system for filing claims.

Nationwide last week, another 6.6 million people filed for unemployment benefits.

This story will be updated.