Press Releases

Following a federal disaster declaration due to the effects of Tropical Storm Fred, three North Carolina counties were approved for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA): Buncombe, Haywood and Transylvania counties. Workers in these counties who became unemployed as a direct result of Tropical Storm Fred may be eligible for unemployment benefits under the DUA program. Business owners affected by the storm may also qualify for benefits.

Following a federal disaster declaration due to the effects of Tropical Storm Fred, the Division of Employment Security (DES) has announced that three North Carolina counties have been approved for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA).DUA benefits are available in Buncombe, Haywood and Transylvania counties. Additional counties may be added to the list of those eligible for DUA at a later date.

As federal unemployment benefits end in North Carolina, Governor Roy Cooper today issued an Executive Order that reinstates certain unemployment benefits requirements after Sept. 4, 2021. “As the pandemic hit, we cut red tape and made temporary changes to unemployment insurance to help people get benefits and to protect employers and employees," said Governor Roy Cooper. "North Carolina’s paltry unemployment benefits are some of the stingiest in the country, and I will continue to urge the legislature to improve the state's benefits as we return to normal procedures."

On Sept. 3, the Division of Employment Security (DES) began issuing payments for Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) to eligible North Carolinians, less than four weeks after federal officials announced the program on Aug. 8.LWA is funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide $300 per week to supplement unemployment benefits for those who have an unemployment benefit amount of at least $100 a week and are out of work due to COVID-19. DES expects initial funds to provide LWA for the benefit weeks ending Aug. 1, Aug. 8 and Aug. 15, 2020. 

The North Carolina Division of Employment Security is taking recommended health and safety precautions after one of its employees received a diagnosis of COVID-19.The facility where the individual’s workstation is located has been sanitized and other staff assigned to that location are working remotely to further prevent the spread of illness.DES continues to provide claims processing and customer services.

Beginning Friday, May 22, North Carolinians who have exhausted their state unemployment insurance benefits can apply for an extension of benefits through the federal Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program (PEUC).PEUC provides up to 13 weeks of additional assistance for people who exhausted their 12 weeks of state unemployment insurance benefits on or after July 6, 2019. It is available for benefit weeks ending Saturdays from April 4 to Dec. 26, 2020.For people applying for PEUC:

Today, Lockhart Taylor, assistant secretary of the North Carolina Department of Commerce Division of Employment Security (DES), briefed the Senate Committee on Commerce and Insurance on the division’s work over the last two months to get relief to North Carolinians who have lost their jobs as a result of the COVID pandemic.

North Carolina independent contractors and self-employed workers out of work because of COVID-19 can apply for federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance beginning this Friday, April 24 at des.nc.gov. Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, or PUA, is a federal program for people who are unable to work as a result of COVID-19 and not eligible for regular state unemployment benefits, such as self-employed workers and independent contractors. 

In the last month, more than 630,000 people have filed for unemployment insurance benefits in North Carolina, mostly due to the impacts of COVID-19. By the end of the next week, the Division of Employment Security plans to have more than three times its original staffing in place to respond to the surge in claims and ensure payments go out as quickly as possible. DES expects to have more than 1,600 people working to process claims and issue payments. • Prior to COVID-19, DES had a staff of approximately 500. 

In the past 24 hours, the Division of Employment Security has made more than $100 million in Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation payments to North Carolinians receiving unemployment assistance, ahead of its timeline to begin FPUC payments by April 17. The division has now paid out a total of more than $216 million to 185,000 people for unemployment claims effective as of March 15.