4,574 Utahns File New For New Jobless Benefits; 40K File Continued Claims

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A total of 4,574 Utahns filed new unemployment claims last week, according to the latest report from the Utah Department of Workforce Services.

Another 40,390 workers filed for continued benefits.

While new jobless claims are up slightly from the week prior (4,458), continued claims fell by 3,916.

“New claims for unemployment benefits remain high and have remained at fairly constant level for the last several weeks,” said Kevin Burt, Unemployment Insurance Division director for the Utah Department of Workforce Services. “The department does expect new claims to increase over the next few months due to the seasonal workforce in the state of Utah; however, it is also clear the pandemic continues to be disruptive to employment.”

The number of individuals who have not requested a benefit for two consecutive weeks as of Sept. 26 was 19,793. A total of 11,270 met the same criteria during the previous week, according to DWS.

Nationwide, workers seeking new unemployment benefits dropped slightly to a still-high 840,000. Continued claims also dropped by about 1 million to a total of 11 million, according to the latest report from the Labor Department.

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.