RICHMOND, Va. -- Virginians have filed almost as many claims for unemployment during the coronavirus pandemic as they have in the last five years.
Officials with the Virginia Employment Commission said during a media call Thursday that more than 800,000 people filed initial claims in the last 12 weeks.
About 75% percent of claims have resulted in payments from the state unemployment commission.
And about 91% of people who were eligible to receive money got it within 14 days.
Still, some 80,000 people have pending administrative hearings regarding their claims.
And thousands of people who were laid off or furloughed are refusing to return to work as the pandemic continues.