Record year for unemployment claims
Unemployment claims in Washington set new records this year, with more than 500,000 jobless workers collecting almost $4.7 billion in benefits.
The Employment Security Department this morning compared the results with 2009, when 475,000 claimants collected $4 billion in benefits, and 2008, when 290,000 collected $1.2 billion.
The federal government, which recently extended long-term benefits, paid 58 percent of the 2010 claims.
Unemployed workers drew benefits for an average 41 weeks, up from 28 weeks in 2009.
