Idaho works to catch up on unemployment claims

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK)-Idaho workers filed 117,811 initial claims for unemployment insurance since the COVID-19 emergency was declared, about twice the total number of claims filed in all of 2019.

For the week that ended April 25, Idahoans filed 8,827 claims, about 32% less than the week earlier.

The total number of valid claims filed has now reached 71,416.

Health care and social assistance jobs represented 19% of all new claims. People working in accommodations,food services, and retail comprised about 15% each. Together, those sectors represented nearly half of the total new claims filed in the past week.

The Department of Labor said it has paid out just under $45 million in benefits since March 23. Payouts last week totaled $13.7 million, a 7.2% increase over the previous week. Those amounts do not include the $600 weekly payment workers received under the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program, which started in Idaho on April 24.

You can see additional statistics here.

There are still many people filing unemployment claims who are experiencing some frustrations.

For example, many who have filed for benefits have never filed for benefits before and new information has to be processed. People who may have quit a job recently and have not earned at least 14 times their weekly benefit amount, are required to go through an eligibility review, which holds up their claim.

The department said others may have other issues standing in the way of receiving benefits, which requires intervention by a claims specialist.

The Governor's Office told us that several steps have been taken to speed up the process. Those include hiring more people to work as claim specialists. Twelve will begin work on May 4 and another 8 will come on board by May 18.

The Department of Labor will also add 60 telephone lines to its phone bank, so that claim specialists can call out and help resolve a backload of claims.

The department has also adjusted its phone schedule, reserving the hours of 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. to process claims. That frees staff time to return phone calls and resolve issues.

People filing claims can help by:

1) making sure their voice mail box is set up and is not full.

2) making sure they have their phones with them during office hours

3) answer the phone when it rings between 4 pm and 6 pm, even if they don't recognize the number.