More Than 33K Filed New Unemployment Claims In Utah Last Week
Apr 9, 2020, 8:57 AM | Updated: 7:21 pm
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A total of 33,076 Utahns filed new unemployment claims last week, according to the latest numbers from the Department of Workforce Services.
There were 28,560 new claims the week before, and 19,591 new claims the week before that.
Officials hold press conference following new jobless claims report
LIVE in PROGRESS: More than 33,000 Utahns filed for unemployment benefits last week. Unemployment Insurance Director Kevin Burt explains the report.
Posted by KSL 5 TV on Thursday, 9 April 2020
“We continue to receive new claims at an unprecedented level,” said Kevin Burt, Unemployment Insurance Division director for the Utah Department of Workforce Services. “The Unemployment Insurance Division staff’s priority is getting payments out. Amidst this workload, the team stands out as one of the first states in the nation to make federal stimulus programs available. I am proud of their outstanding work and the critical resources they’re providing to Utahns.”
Utah is one of the first states in the country to make its $600 unemployment insurance stimulus available. Those who are receiving jobless benefits will automatically receive the additional money moving forward, according to DWS. The benefit will also be paid retroactively for those who received a payment this week.
JUST IN: #Utah releases weekly unemployment insurance claims report.
New claims filed for week ending April 4: 33,076
“We continue to receive new claims at an unprecedented level," says @JobsUT's Kevin Burt. @KSL5TV @KSLcom @kslnewsradio #pandemic #COVIDー19 #KSLTV pic.twitter.com/RCt9ss4z8c
— Ladd Egan (@laddegan) April 9, 2020
Starting next week, the application for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance is making benefits available for self-employed individuals and others who aren’t eligible for traditional unemployment benefits. Claims can be filed at jobs.utah.gov. According to DWS, claimants should expect 21-30 days for those applications to be processed.
Nationwide, 6.6 million people filed for unemployment benefits last week, bringing the total number of jobless claims in the United States to a record 16.8 million since the coronavirus began to take hold.