Unemployment claims rise at slower pace
BOISE, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK) - Another 5,800 initial unemployment insurance claims were filed with the Idaho Department of Labor over the past week, roughly the same level as the week before.
After six weeks of steep declines, it was the first time that claim numbers held steady. “Continued claims,” which represent the number of people who requested a benefit, fell 8% to 60,121 persons.
People working in accommodations and food services accounted for 15% of total claims filed. The second largest group were in manufacturing at 13% of the total. Retail, health care and social assistance claimants fell to third and fourth, or 11% of total claimants.
Layoffs associated with the pandemic continue to cross all age groups, but young people under the age of 25 represent almost 20% of the total number of claims filed, according to the Department of Labor. Men represent 52% of the claims.
Unemployment benefit payouts for the past week reached $12.1 million, a 9% decrease from the previous week.
Total CARES Act payments increased 55% to $46.3 million and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance exceeded $5 million in its first full week of payments.
During the 9-week state of emergency, laid off workers have filed 136,901 initial claims for unemployment benefits. That is about 2.3 times the normal level. Total benefits attributed to COVID-19 layoffs totaled $240 million.
