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Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy. We need your help. More Info ### I would like to contribute One Time Monthly Yearly Join Now ![](\\" ![](\\" Mark Born stated on June 2, 2021 in Twitter: “Before the pandemic, just over 40,000 were on continuing UI claims. Now, there are well over 100,000 on state or federal UI benefits.” ![\\"true\\"](\\" true/3d4df195c595a07e3fd69b5e4aab3e3c.jpg.\\") ![\\"true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") * Jobs * States * Workers * Wisconsin * Mark Born ![\\"\\"](\\" By D.L. Davis June 18, 2021 # State Rep. Born claim on unemployment claims since the pandemic is on the mark #### If Your Time is short * Department of Workforce Development datashows that in the week ending on March 7, 2020, there were 41,015 unemployment claims statewide. * For the week of May 22, 202, there were 127,745 claims. See the sources for this fact-check Fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic has touched just about every aspect of daily life, including education, travel and, of course, employment. To deal with an unprecedented sudden loss of jobs, state and federal officials created a host of enhanced benefits for laid off workers. After a year of extensions of those benefits, many Republicans argue the extra money now is actually keeping unemployed people from working. In joining that debate, state Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, tweeted this on June 2, 2021 about how many in Wisconsin are getting unemployment benefits: \"Before the pandemic, just over 40,000 were on continuing UI claims. Now, there are well over 100,000 on state or federal UI benefits.\" The tweet came on the day Republicans who control the Legislature’s budget- writing Joint Finance Committee declined to put an additional $15 million toward running Wisconsin\'s unemployment benefits program, rejecting request from Gov. Tony Evers. \"There\'s a lot of federal money available for these types of (unemployment insurance) projects,\" Born told reporters. When it comes to how many people are claiming unemployment benefits, then and now, is Born right? Unemployment claims soar Born’s tweet included a graphic pulled from figures from a state Department of Workforce Development document, \"Continuing Unemployment Claims by Program.\" And that’s exactly where Born spokesman Tyler Clark pointed us when we asked for backup. This is what the department’s \"Weekly Snapshot of UI Division Activity\" for the week of May 22, 2021, showed for the last full week before his claim was made: * Regular Unemployment Insurance weekly claims: 70,112 * Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation claims: 35,678 * Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Weekly Claims: 21,537 #### Featured Fact-check ![](\\" ![](\\" Eric Hovde stated on August 13, 2024 in Public appearance Says U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin “has done absolutely nothing” about the fentanyl crisis. ![\\"true\\"](\\" false/33efdb6633e5e2fdc2d4e2f63383a1e0.jpg.\\") ![\\"false\\"](\\" false.jpg\\") By Laura Schulte • August 22, 2024 * Extended Benefits Weekly Claims: 418 * Total: 127,745 So, his current numbers are on target. For pre-pandemic numbers, we looked back to March 11, 2020, when the World Health Organization declared SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus, a pandemic. A DWD spreadsheet, \"Weekly Claims by County\" shows that in the week ending on March 7, 2020, there were 41,015 unemployment claims statewide. \"The point of the tweet was to point out how many people are on state and federal UI benefits now as the economy is opening up and most government- mandated shutdowns and restrictions are being lifted, compared to before the pandemic,\" Clark said in an email. He said the figures are significant because \"it shows how many people are still on unemployment when we are in the middle of a workforce crisis,\" noting there were more than 100,000 jobs listed on the Job Center of Wisconsin website as of June 8, 2021. On June 9, 2021, Republican lawmakers passed legislation that would eliminate the extra $300 per week unemployed people in Wisconsin have received under a federal program for those who lost work during the pandemic. Proponents say the shift would encourage more people to go re-enter the workforce, but Evers said before the legislation passed that he was likely to veto it: \"I can’t imagine that I’ll be signing it.\" Our ruling Born said \"\"Before the pandemic, just over 40,000 were on continuing UI claims. Now, there are well over 100,000 on state or federal UI benefits.\" Those figures check out, and make clear things are far from back to normal, even if Democrats and Republicans disagree about why unemployment remains high and what to do about it. We rate the claim True. #### Read About Our Process The Principles of the Truth-O-Meter ### Our Sources Twitter, State Rep. Mark Born, June 2, 2021. Email, Tyler Clark, Born’s spokesman, June 7, 2021. Email, Legislative Reference Bureau, June 10, 2021 Job Center of Wisconsin Milwaukee Journal Sentinel \"Republican lawmakers decline to put an additional $15 million toward unemployment system,\" June 2, 2021 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel \"It\'s a tight labor market. That means employers must find innovative ways to recruit -- and offer higher wages,\" . Milwaukee Journal Sentinel \"Wisconsin lawmakers pass bill that would end extra $300 in unemployment benefits. Evers \'can\'t imagine\' signing it.\" June 9, 2021 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel \"Republican lawmakers introduce legislation ending enhanced unemployment programs in Wisconsin,\" May 18, 2021 Department of Workforce Development, \"Weekly Snapshot of UI Division Activity\" for the week of May 22, 2021. Department of Workforce Development \"Weekly Claims by County\" for 2020, week 10, the week ending on March 7 \"Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Data - Report, State of Wisconsin, Week of March 7, 2020 Yale Medicine \"Our Pandemic Year—A COVID-19 Timeline\" March 9, 2021 ## Browse the Truth-O-Meter ### More by D.L. Davis ![](\\" ![](\\" Joe Biden stated on May 16, 2024 in News release: \"The Trump administration handed out taxpayer dollars to a foreign company. Hundreds of homes and farms were bulldozed, and over $500 million in taxpayer dollars were wasted preparing for Foxconn.\" ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By D.L. Davis • July 13, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Ron Johnson stated on April 15, 2024 in Podcast: \"Every Senate Democrat has voted to support unlimited abortions up to the moment of birth.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By D.L. Davis • May 17, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Lisa Subeck stated on February 16, 2024 in X, formerly Twitter: “The United States is an outlier, one of only about half a dozen countries, without any guarantee of paid leave for new parents and/or other health care needs.” ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" By D.L. Davis • April 16, 2024 ![](\\" new/e5f81dc43ebbfab7c9d9b56cfba2f398.jpg\\") ![](\\" new/9fbc38bd9f4148c4e7374ecdd8d95da4.jpg\\") Tammy Baldwin stated on February 1, 2024 in Facebook post: “Big drug companies charge as little as $7 for an inhaler overseas and nearly $500 for the exact same one here in the US.” ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" mostly-true.jpg\\") By D.L. Davis • February 23, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Robin Vos stated on January 7, 2024 in TV interview: “The law in Wisconsin (on abortion time limit) is 20 weeks. That is way outside the international bounds.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By D.L. Davis • February 9, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Cindi Duchow stated on November 9, 2023 in Wisconsin Assembly: \"Unfortunately during COVID, the clerks in Madison and Milwaukee told their constituents that they were actually indefinitely confined and did not have to come and vote, which was incorrect.\" ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" mostly-true.jpg\\") By D.L. Davis • January 26, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Ron Tusler stated on September 12, 2023 in X, formerly Twitter: Wisconsin Republicans are backing “a nonpartisan redistricting plan based off the Iowa Model. ... Republicans, Democrats, and the Governor pushed this plan last time redistricting happened in 2020.” ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By D.L. Davis • December 8, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" Rebecca Cooke stated on September 1, 2023 in X, formerly Twitter: \"Derrick Van Orden is one of the only members of Congress who participated in the deadly January 6th insurrection. He now serves in the building he tried to burn down.\" ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By D.L. Davis • October 11, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" LaKeshia Myers stated on June 6, 2023 in News release: During the spring 2020 election in Milwaukee, a reduction to only five polling locations “came days before the election and was done without proper notice to voters.” ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" mostly-true.jpg\\") By D.L. Davis • September 8, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" Kelda Helen Roys stated on April 26, 2023 in Twitter: Infertility is treated differently than other issues and \"often excluded from insurance coverage\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" By D.L. Davis • May 26, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" Robin Vos stated on March 9, 2023 in Podcast: “When a basketball player or football or baseball player from another team plays in Wisconsin, that one game\'s salary, they pay Wisconsin income tax on it. ... So, if for some reason we do not have the Brewers in Wisconsin all of those player salaries that generate dollars for the State of Wisconsin go away.\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" By D.L. Davis • May 12, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" Paul Ryan stated on February 23, 2023 in TV interview: \"WOW county swing suburban voters (in Wisconsin) don\'t vote for Donald Trump.” ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" By D.L. Davis • April 18, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" Tony Evers stated on March 8, 2023 in Twitter: The money for upgrades to the Milwaukee Brewers stadium in Evers’ budget is \"a bipartisan plan.\" ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By D.L. Davis • March 28, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" Joan Ballweg stated on January 24, 2023 in Twitter: \"Wisconsin has seen over 63 billion dollars of federal pandemic-related funding funnel into our state over (Gov. Tony Evers\') tenure.\" ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" mostly-true.jpg\\") By D.L. Davis • March 14, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" Tony Evers stated on December 27, 2022 in Twitter: \"During my time in office, we\'ve increased per pupil aid by more than $300 per student. Now, our schools have returned to the top 10 in the country after falling to 17 under the previous administration.” ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By D.L. Davis • February 7, 2023 ### State Rep. Born claim on unemployment claims since the pandemic is on the mark * ![](\\" ![](\\" Donald Trump stated on September 10, 2024 in at a Sept. 10 presidential debate: \"In Springfield (Ohio), they\'re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they\'re eating the cats. They\'re eating, they\'re eating the pets of the people that live there.” ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Jeff Cercone • September 11, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Social Media stated on September 6, 2024 in in social media posts: Haitian immigrants are eating pets and wildlife in Springfield, Ohio. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Jeff Cercone • September 9, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Social Media stated on September 2, 2024 in social media posts: The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club is on the way to Aurora, Colorado, to confront a Venezuelan gang. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Loreben Tuquero • September 9, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Kamala Harris stated on July 20, 2024 in remarks at a fundraiser in Provincetown, Mass.: Donald Trump “took away protections against discrimination for LGBTQ patients under the Affordable Care Act.” ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" mostly-true.jpg\\") By Grace Abels • September 9, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" One Nation stated on August 23, 2024 in an ad: “Sen. Jacky Rosen voted to increase taxes on families making less than $75,000 a year.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Seth A. Richardson • September 9, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on September 3, 2024 in una publicación en Facebook: \"La nueva ley de condonación elimina $15,000 de la deuda de tarjetas de crédito para todos los estadounidenses\". ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Maria Briceño • September 9, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" X posts stated on September 3, 2024 in una publicación en X: “Un grupo de 32 venezolanos armados tomaron esta noche un edificio de apartamentos en Chicago”. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Sofia Ahmed • September 9, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Donald Trump stated on September 7, 2024 in a rally in Mosinee, Wis.: Vice President Kamala Harris “cast the tiebreaking votes that caused the worst inflation in American history, costing a typical American family $28,000.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Louis Jacobson • September 8, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" National Republican Senatorial Committee stated on August 28, 2024 in an Instagram ad: Elissa Slotkin “gave your hard-earned tax money to illegal immigrants.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Caleb McCullough • September 6, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Instagram posts stated on September 5, 2024 in a post: Video shows Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz dancing to Beyoncé in a cowboy hat and crop top. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Sara Swann • September 6, 2024 Load more ### Support independent fact-checking. 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Before the pandemic just over 40000 were on continuing UI claims Now there are well over 100000 on state or federal UI benefits