MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin’s unemployment rate hit 14.1% in April, a level not seen since the Great Depression. The state Department of Workforce Development reported the latest figures on Thursday. The state’s rate was just below the national unemployment rate of 14.7%. April was the first full month of Wisconsin’s “safer at home” order issued by Gov. Tony Evers in reaction to the coronavirus pandemic that forced most nonessential businesses to close. While unemployment has soared, so too has criticism from Republicans over the speed in processing claims for benefits. As of Monday, more than 2 million weekly claims had been filed, but more than 675,000 were unpaid.
