Department of Workforce Services Reports 5K New Jobless Claims In Utah

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Utah Department of Workforce Services on Thursday reported there were 5,006 new unemployment claims filed for the week of June 21 – 27.

That’s up 45 claims from the previous week.

The state also reported 1,680 new Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims, up by 51 from the week before. Pandemic Unemployment Assistance is a program to provide aid to those who wouldn’t normally qualify for unemployment insurance.

“The unemployment insurance program has been an incredible stabilizer for those that have and continue to see disruption to their employment as we move towards economic recovery,” said Kevin Burt, Unemployment Insurance Division director for the Utah Department of Workforce Services. “However the stability found in unemployment is temporary, and about to change dramatically with the loss of the $600 weekly stimulus at the end of July 2020. We continue to encourage claimants to seek ongoing stability in the many job opportunities currently available.”

Nationally, new jobless claims fell for the second month in a row. The Labor Department reported 1.47 million Americans filed for new unemployment benefits, and the nation’s unemployment rate fell to 11.1%.

America also added 4.8 million jobs in June.

Utah DWS is hosting a virtual job fair on July 30, with nearly 25,000 job openings in a wide variety of industries. Residents looking for work can sign up for the job fair by going to jobs.utah.gov.

If an individual’s employment has been impacted by COVID-19 they should visit jobs.utah.gov/covid19 for updated information including help for employees and employers returning to work.