Utah’s new unemployment claims drop by 22% over 2 weeks

New unemployment claims have dropped by 22% over the past two weeks in Utah, with 3,545 people asking for aid between Feb. 14 and 20.

A total of $20,080,218 of benefits was paid out as 32,763 continued claims were filed during that same week, according to the Utah Department of Workforce Services.

“New unemployment claims have dropped by nearly 22% over the past two weeks, while continued claims have also seen a weekly decline for three consecutive weeks,” Kevin Burt, unemployment insurance division director for the UDWS, stated in a news release.

The employment of many Utahns continues to be impacted by this incredibly difficult pandemic; however, Utah’s economy has proven to be incredibly resilient and there are many job opportunities available supporting our continued economic recovery.

The number of individuals who have not requested a benefit for two consecutive weeks as of Feb. 13, 2021, was 2,029. A total of 1,649 met the same criteria during the previous week.

The U.S. Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claims declined by 111,000 from the previous week to a seasonally adjusted 730,000. This is the lowest figure since late November and the sharpest one-week decline since August, the Associated Press reports.

Before the pandemic, unemployment claims never surpassed 700,000.

Anyone whose employment has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic is encouraged to visit: jobs.utah.gov/covid19