Another 19,820 Missourians filed initial unemployment claims last week but that number continued a steady decline in such claims since mid-April. Missouri Department of Labor data released Thursday shows last week's claims dropped from 20,459 the previous week. Unemployment claims have steadily declined since 101,722 claims were filed for the week of April 11. The peak of claims was 104,230 for the week ending March 28, when stay-at-home orders in response to the coronavirus pandemic began to take effect. National unemployment claims also dropped last week, with about 1.5 million laid-off workers applying. It was the 10th straight week of declines in national claims.
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