For only the second time this year, the amount of unemployment insurance benefits paid to Beaufort County residents increased from one month to the next month, according to information released by the N.C. Department of Commerce’s Labor and Economic Analysis Division.

In July, those benefits totaled $97,670. In June, those benefits totaled $96,348. While the amount of unemployment insurance benefits paid increased from June to July, the number of Beaufort County residents who filed initial claims for benefits dropped from 113 in June to 82 in July, according to LEAD data.

Larry Parker, spokesman for the N.C. Division of Employment Security, explained the change this way in an email: “It could simply mean that many of those filing in June had exhausted before the month was out, those filing in June were only out of work for a couple of weeks, it could mean that some of the crowd moved when school ended and now are counted in another county, or it could mean that the local factory called folks back to work after a week or two layoff.  The number of claimants isn’t indicative on how much UI is paid out especially when you are talking about a small difference in the month to month numbers.”

The other uptick in the amount of benefits paid this year occurred in May when, after four straight months of declining amounts of benefits paid, the amount totaled $102,616, up from the $98,565 paid in April, according to LEAD information. In January, those benefits totaled $131,132. In February, the benefits paid had dropped to $127,205. For March, the benefits paid fell again to $119,424.

In July, 82 county residents filed initial claims for unemployment insurance benefits, with 653 total weeks of benefits claimed, according to LEAD data. Of those 82 residents, 39 were women and 43 were men. LEAD data shows that 41 of those 82 residents were black or African-American, 37 were white and four were of other races.

The age group with the highest number of benefits recipients in June was the 25-to-34 group, which had 24 recipients. The 35-to-44 age group had 20 recipients, followed by the 45-to-54 age group with 15 recipients. The 20-to-24 had 12 recipients and the 55-to-64 age groups had six recipients.

Earlier this month, the N.C. Division of Employment Security began issuing new debit cards to eligible people who receive their unemployment insurance benefits by way of debit card. Bank of America now provides those debit cards.

 

In North Carolina during July, the average weekly benefit amount was $229.12, according to LEAD data. In June, the average weekly benefit was $227.61. In July 2014, the average weekly benefit amount was $220.49, according to LEAD data.

The amount of a claimant’s weekly benefit amount depends, in part, on that person’s salary history during the last two quarters of his or her base period divided by 52. A claimant must have at least $780 in one of those last two quarters to establish a weekly benefit amount, which cannot exceed $350.

The overall benefits paid include regular unemployment insurance, unemployment compensation for federal employees, unemployment compensation for ex-military personnel, emergency unemployment compensation, extended benefits and federal additional compensation, according to LEAD documents.