The Alabama Department of Labor has released the official count for initial unemployment claims filed during the week of March 15-21, and as the department continues to track unemployment claims in weeks to come, officials say an uptick related to the coronavirus is expected.

Statewide from March 15-21, 10,982 claims were filed either online or by telephone. In Franklin County, 21 claims were filed for the week ending March 21 – as compared to nine claims for the week ending March 14 and 10 claims for the week ending March 7. A total 49 claims were filed for the entire month of February.

ADOL communications director Tara Hutchison said the ADOL cannot report from which businesses unemployment claims were filed in Franklin County “due to confidentiality requirements,” but statewide, the majority of claims filed were from employees in the accommodation and food services industry, followed by unclassified and healthcare and social assistance categories.

According to the ADOL’s Interactive Week Unemployment Insurance Claims map, Franklin experienced fewer unemployment claims than surrounding and nearby counties for the week ending March 21:

• Franklin: 21
• Winston: 24
• Marion: 29
• Lawrence: 29
• Colbert: 79
• Limestone: 104
• Lauderdale: 147

For more information on obtaining unemployment benefits and to view a list of frequently asked questions, visit https://www.labor.alabama.gov/covid19resources.aspx. To see the ADOL’s interactive unemployment claims tracker, visit http://www2.labor.alabama.gov/ and click the link under Recent Updates.