New unemployment claims dip slightly

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK)-Idahoans have filed 3,250 new claims for unemployment benefits in the week ending August 8.  The Idaho Department of Labor said that is 10%, or 357 claims, less than the previous week.

The total number of people requesting a benefit payment was 20,263, a 4% decline from the previous week.

Again this week, health care and social assistance workers represented the largest number of new claims at 14% of the total. Accommodation, food service, retail, administrative, support, waste management, and manufacturing each represented 12% of the new claims.

27% of the new claims were filed by people aged 25-34, while people under 25 represented 18%. 

The department paid out $14.7 million in claims during the week.  That was down from $38.1 million the week before.  The drop was due to the end of the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program, which paid an additional $600 in weekly benefits.

Total benefit payments to laid-off Idahoans due to COVID-19 have now reached $767 million.

You can see specific details here.