Peoria area unemployment claims multipled tenfold in March as the coronavirus began to take a heavy toll on the economy.
Numbers released by the Illinois Department of Employment Security show 11,128 claims filed as of March 20th, compared to just 1,432 filed over the same time period in February.
The Peoria metropolitan statistical area consists of Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford, Marshall and Stark counties.
Statewide, more than 178,000 people had filed for unemployment as of March 28. That's a massive 1800 percent spike from this time last year.
Non-essential businesses and schools were closed last month by Gov. J.B. Pritzker's stay-at-home executive order aimed at containing the coronavirus.
