Utah Reports 5,588 New Unemployment Claims Filed Last Week
Jan 7, 2021, 9:17 AM | Updated: 9:33 am
(Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Utah Department of Workforce Services on Thursday reported 5,588 of the state’s residents filed for new unemployment benefits last week.
That number is up from the previous week, when the state reported 4,207 new claims.
Last week, a total of 27,292 Utahns filed for continued claims. That number is also an increase from the week before, when 26,045 people filed continued claims.
“Last week we saw an increase in new unemployment claims as well as in continued claims, both appear to be a direct result of the recently signed Continued Assistance Act extending many of the CARES Act provisions,” said Kevin Burt, Unemployment Insurance Division director for the Utah Department of Workforce Services. “It is likely the next several weeks will show large increases in claims; however, we believe this is largely a result of people who continue to struggle to reconnect back into the workforce reapplying, rather than a large increase in new layoffs.”
Nationally, new claims actually decreased slightly to 787,000, and 5.1 million Americans had filed for continued benefits.
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.