Today’s update includes information on:

• Missouri's skyrocketing unemployment claims
• An additional stay-at-home order

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

• Like many states, the Missouri economy is suffering. Missouri has had a 56% increase in unemployment claims since the stay-at-home orders in the state’s largest metro areas went into effect on March 27. The flood of filings has caused the wait time to file a claim to last days. Although the relief package that Congress and President Trump approved last week is planning to add $600 a week onto each state’s unemployment payouts, Missouri has announced they are awaiting federal guidance before the benefit can be added. 

SOCIAL LIFE

• St. Francois County has joined several other Missouri counties as they have issued a stay-at-home order beginning April 3, 2020. St. Francois will join the list of over 20 (out of 114) counties in the state that have implemented similar orders. The stated intent of the order is to maximize the number of people who stay at home and slow the spread of COVID-19 while protecting the local jobs and economy.