If you are struggling with finances during the pandemic, these tips may be helpful. WASHINGTON - A skyrocketing number of businesses have furloughed employees because of the coronavirus pandemic — and although furloughs are typically meant to be temporary, many people finding themselves without a paycheck are wondering if they qualify for unemployment insurance. RELATED: CoronavirusNOW.com, FOX launches national hub for COVID-19 news and updates Although states handle their own unemployment insurance programs, Congress decreed that employees on furlough do qualify for such benefits as long as their loss of work is connected to the pandemic.