Idaho unemployment claims rise again

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK)-Idahoans filed another 30,904 initial claims for unemployment insurance between March 29 and April 4. That is about 6.2% under the previous week's record level of 32,941.

Since Governor Brad Little declared a state of emergency on March 8, the Idaho Department of Labor has received 77,430 unemployment claims.

According to the department, laid-off workers of all age groups were affected, but those aged 25-34 filed 27% of all claims. Women filed 51% of all initial claims last week. They made up almost 60% of the claims filed the week before.

The hardest hit industries were accommodations and food services at 17.3%, health care and social assistance at 16.3%, and construction at 16.3% Retail workers accounted for 11.4% of the claims filed and manufacturing at 10.5% of the week's total.

The payout for unemployment insurance claims for the week ending March 28 totaled $5.6 million. That is 86% more than the prior week and 178% higher than the same week, one year ago.

The Department of Labor has established a new labor market information website.

So far, the Idaho Falls region has submitted 4.4% of initial unemployment claims and Pocatello, 2.5%. The Boise market area accounted for 31.1% of the total claims filed.