New Jobless Claims Spike In Utah

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – New unemployment claims in Utah last week jumped dramatically.

According to the Utah Department of Workforce Services, 7,630 new claims were filed for the week ending Jan. 9.

For the week prior, 5,588 Utahns filed for new jobless benefits.

Also last week, 28,458 of the state’s workers filed for continued claims, which is also up from the week before when 27,292 people filed continued claims.

“We are proud to announce, due to the incredible work of the staff, the federally funded extended unemployment benefits offered through the Continued Assistance Act are now available for Utahns who have exhausted their state unemployment benefit and remain unemployed,” said Kevin Burt, Unemployment Insurance Division director for the Utah Department of Workforce Services. “It is important to note that the federal unemployment extensions are for a total of 11 weeks, actively looking for work will remain critically important for long-term stability.”

Nationwide, new jobless claims also increased dramatically, with 965,000 Americans filing for new unemployment 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.