Fewer Idahoans file new unemployment claims

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK)-By the end of last week, 5,795 Idahoans had filed initial unemployment claims, a 23% decline from the previous week.

Over the eight weeks of the COVID-19 emergency, laid off workers filed 131,101 initial unemployment benefit claims.  According to the Idaho Department of Labor, that is 2.2 times the total number of initial claims filed in all of 2019.

A total of 65,478 people claimed benefits last week, a decline of 9% from the previous week.

Once again, people working in accommodations and food services accounted for almost 15% of total claims, followed by retail at 13%, and health care and social assistance jobs (11%).     Unemployment claims for manufacturing jobs represented about 10%.

Young people under 25 represented almost 20% of initial claims for the week.

The Department of Labor paid out $70 million in regular benefits to laid-off workers between March 23 and May 9.  Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation payments totaled $123.9 million.  

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