Unemployment was up significantly in L.A. County after January’s fires, according to a new report from University of California researchers .

About 11,000 workers filed for unemployment benefits after January’s fires — a 12% to 17% jump in claims from before the fires. Researchers analyzed unemployment insurance data to better understand the economic landscape after this year’s disaster.

While most affected workers lived in or close to the burn zones, there was a significant spike in claims from commuters from Central L.A. and South L.A. as well, said UCLA economics professor Till von Wachter, one of the report’s authors.

“It’s a shock to the entire area,” von Wachter said. “Economically the shock spreads because of the individuals that were commuting to work in these areas.”

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