New Idaho unemployment claims decline

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK) - The Idaho Department of Labor reports initial claims for unemployment insurance benefits last week dropped 6% to 3,437. The ongoing number of people who requested benefit payments was 10,708, a 7% drop from the previous week.

The department paid out $7.8 million in claims during the week. That was down by $15 million from the previous week, primarily due to expiration of the Lost Wages Assistance program. 

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Idaho has paid laid-off workers $868.8 million.  $196.8 million of that was paid through regular state unemployment insurance benefits. 

69% of those claims were people aged 25 to 54. The hardest hit regions of the state appear to be the southwest and northern regions. Eastern Idahoans filed 5.3% of the claims, while the southwest accounted for 29.4%.

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