Press Releases

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. 

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.

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.

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).

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 a

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. 

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.

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. 

With more than half a million North Carolinians filing for unemployment in the past four weeks, Governor Roy Cooper has issued an executive order that will help streamline the processing of claims by lifting some of the requirements for employers to file attached claims on behalf of their employe

The Division of Employment Security is moving quickly to bring additional unemployment insurance benefits to North Carolinians impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. DES has received official guidance from the U.S.