Initial Idaho unemployment claims drop slightly

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK)-The Idaho Department of Labor reports Idahoans filed 3,686 new claims for unemployment insurance benefits in the past week. That’s 3% less than the previous week.

The number of continued claims dropped to 14,423, about 12% less than the prior week.   According to the department, the claims are at about the same level as those filed during the height of the Great Recession in 2009.

Jobs in manufacturing, health care and social assistance represented 24% of the total claims last week. Accommodation, food services, and retail trade accounted for 11% of the loss while support services and construction each represented 10%.

48% of those filing new claims were between the ages of 25 to 44.

The department paid out $9.3 million in claims during the week ending
August 29. Regular state benefit payouts were $3.4 million.   Of the CARES Act programs, Pandemic Extended Unemployment Compensation payments (PEUC) were $1.9 million, with payouts for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) at $2.8 million and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) at $1.2 million. 

Total benefits paid to laid-off Idahoans due to the COVID-19 pandemic reached $804 million.  Regular state unemployment insurance benefits made up $189 million of that total.

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