New Idaho unemployment claims increase

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK)-Idahoans filed 3,804 initial claims for unemployment insurance benefits in the week ending September 5.  That is an increase of 3%, or 118 claims, over the previous week, according to the Idaho Department of Labor.

By age, 24% of the claims filed were people aged 25 to 34, while people aged 35 to 44 represented 21%.  People aged 45 to 54 were 20% of the total.  As school classes began, young people, under 25, represented 14% of the total unemployment claims filed.

The number of people filing continued claims dropped by 10% from the previous week to 15,658.  

The number of average weekly claims was 4% higher than the 3,655 average weekly claims filed during the height of the Great Recession in 2009.

The department paid out $41.9 million in claims during the week, up from $9.3 million the week before.  The big difference reflects initial payments under the Lost Wages Assistance program.

Total benefit payments to laid-off Idahoans reached $846 million.