More than one-quarter of Laconia workers file for unemployment

LACONIA — Nearly one-quarter of Laconia’s workforce filed for unemployment compensation between March 15 and April 18, according to figures released Thursday by the state Employment Security Department.

The city’s “Covid-19 Affected Unemployment Rate” is 24.57 percent, but that undershoots the actual unemployment rate because it doesn’t include people who were unemployed before March 15 or those who live locally but applied for unemployment compensation out of state.

Laconia had 1,910 unemployment claims during the period. Belknap County had 6,766 claims for a 21.8 percent COVID-19 Affected Unemployment Rate, and Carroll County had a rate of 23.8 percent based on 5,646 claims.

The rate in Gilford is 22.83, Meredith has 22.15, Belmont has 23.13 and Tilton has 25.42.

LRGHealthcare, the region’s largest employer, furloughed 600 workers, contributing to the relatively high local rate. Also, the Lakes Region depends on the tourism economy and has a significant number of eating and drinking establishments, a sector where 28,461 new claims were filed statewide since March 15.

Statewide, 145,646 new unemployment claims were filed with the state between March 15 and April 18 for a rate of 15 percent.