(Updated) IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa residents filed more than 41,000 claims for unemployment benefits last week as the coronavirus outbreak forced many workers to lose jobs and stay home. The Department of Labor reported Thursday that nationwide, claims for jobless benefits surged to a record 3.3 million in the week that ended March 21.

The numbers show that in Iowa, initial claims zoomed past 41,000. That was up from 2,229 reported in the state the week before. Iowa Workforce Development Director Beth Townsend said earlier this week that the state was receiving a staggering number of claims.