SALT LAKE CITY — Nearly 20,000 new unemployment claims were filed in Utah last week, according to the Utah Department of Workforce Services.
While the claims were down 18% from the previous week, the numbers continue to show a record number of Utahns filing for unemployment.
A total of 19,571 people filed claims during the week of April 12 to April 18, with over $17.4 million in traditional unemployment benefits processed and distributed amid historic volume, according to the department.
The total number of weekly unemployment insurance claims rose to 95,376, up 74,441 fro the previous week. The system requires filing a weekly claim.
In addition, the state Unemployment Insurance Division reported that $42.55 million in $600 weekly stimulus checks has been paid to claimants. The office also stated that 7,062 Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims were filed in the initial week of the program.
“It is important for perspective that that is still a very high volume compared to 2019. (Last year), we received an average of about a 1,100 a week. So 19,000 is high, even though it is trending down,” said division director Kevin Burt.
“And for some historical perspective on the highest week that we had in unemployment claims in history was about 5,000 claims in a week. So we continue to see historic levels, but lower than than the previous two weeks.”
The report showed the three industries with the highest percentage of claims for the week were office and administrative support at 13.4%, sales and related occupations at 11.4%, along with food preparation and serving at 9%. The Utah counties with the highest number of new jobless claims were Salt Lake County at 40.4%, Utah County at 13.4%, Weber County at 9.6%, Davis County at 9.4% and Washington County at 4.2%.
“For both employers and employees, we are starting to see that there is some movement toward opening up the economy and opening up businesses that have been closed due to the pandemic, as well as some businesses receiving loans to also bring employees back — so those resources are available,” Burt said.