According to preliminary figures, the nation experienced a record-breaking 5.8 million unemployed claims in the week ended March 28. This is a record number. In September 2005, after Hurricane Katrina, the state saw 21,215 claims. This was the second-highest week of claims. Comparing the two weeks preceding March, you can see that unemployment claims rose by more than 1800% across the nation and 1700% in Mississippi between 2,026 and 36,465. New federal legislation will increase unemployment checks by $600 over four months. This means that jobless workers in Mississippi will see their weekly benefits more than triple, from a maximum amount of $235 to $835. The amount paid depends on the person’s income and eligibility. The Mississippi Department of Employment Security administers benefits funded by employer taxes and encourages people who have lost their jobs due to COVID-19, to submit claims online. There are glitches on the website, call centers are overwhelmed, which causes long wait times. The department asks applicants with problems to email cv19@mdes.ms.gov. In a tweet, Lt. Governor. Delbert Hosemann stated that 70 new employees had been hired by the department as a result of increased calls, which rose from 600 to 6000 per week. He wrote on Twitter that “delays persist” on March 27. Applicants can also avoid the online application by downloading a form and sending it to UIClaims@mdes.ms.gov. They can also avoid the centralized hotline by calling the local WIN Job Center.