New Unemployment Claims Decrease In Utah

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – New unemployment claims fell last week to 6,814, a drop from the previous week when 7,630 Utahns applied for new jobless benefits.

However, continued claims rose during the same period of time, according to the Utah Department of Workforce Services.

For the week ending Jan. 16, 30,902 of the state’s residents filed continued claims. The week before, 28,458 had filed for continued benefits.

“We continue to see a significant demand for the unemployment benefit, the passing of the Continued Assistance Act has increased that demand,” said Kevin Burt, Unemployment Insurance Division director for the Utah Department of Workforce Services. “While many of the temporary unemployment benefits were extended with the Continued Assistance Act, the unemployment insurance program remains time limited; actively looking for work remains critical as we continue to see Utah’s economy recover from this pandemic.”

Approximately 900,000 Americans filed for first-time benefits last week. While still high, that number had dropped from the previous week’s 926,000 claims.

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.