4,847 Utahns File New Unemployment Claims

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Utah Department of Workforce Services on Thursday reported that 4,847 Utahns filed for new unemployment benefits last week.

That number is down by 605 claims from the week prior.

A total of 1,714 residents filed new Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims for the week ending June 13, down by 40 from the previous week.

Nationally, approximately 1.5 million Americans filed new jobless claims last week. While that number is historically high, it’s the 11th straight weekly decline in new applications since the pandemic brought the economy to a halt in March.

According to the Labor Department, the total number of people who have been receiving unemployment aid also fell, indicating more people are returning to their previous jobs.

In Utah, 5,666 residents ended their unemployment claims during the week of June 7 – 13.

“The unemployment insurance program has and continues to provide a significant amount of temporary economic stability to tens of thousands of Utahns impacted by the pandemic,” said Kevin Burt, Unemployment Insurance Division director for the Utah Department of Workforce Services. “However, we are just over a month away from the $600 federal stimulus ending and continued economic stability for those on the benefit will only be found in employment.”