The Montana Department of Labor and Industry paid out more than $55 million in unemployment last week.
The total includes regular unemployment payments, expanded pandemic assistance and the $600 weekly addition from the federal CARES Act.
Filings for initial unemployment insurance claims peaked in early April a few weeks after state-mandated business closures went into effect to limit the spread of the covid-19 illness.
Continued unemployment claims peaked at the end of April and have been slowly decreasing since, as businesses start reopening.
