Unemployment soars with 4,428 claims filed from Whatcom County residents last week

New unemployment insurance claims soared for the week ending March 21 as Washington state workers stayed home under Gov. Jay Inslee’s order.

The number of Whatcom residents filing for unemployment benefits totaled 4,428, according to new data from the Washington State Employment Security Department. That’s a huge jump compared to the previous week, when 238 people filed an initial claim.