4,658 Workers Filed New Unemployment Claims In Utah Last Week

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – According to the latest report from the Utah Department of Workforce Services, 4,658 workers filed for new unemployment benefits for the week ending Oct. 10.

There were 37,571 continued claims filed during the same period.

New claims are up slightly from the week before, when 4,574 Utahns filed for new benefits. However, continued claims dropped by 2,819 from the state’s previous report.

“In spite of a persistent high volume of new claims, we have seen an overall decrease in continued claims for 23 consecutive weeks in the state of Utah,” said Kevin Burt, Unemployment Insurance Division director for the Utah Department of Workforce Services. “While the unemployment program has provided much needed support, we continue to encourage active participation in the labor force as opportunities prevail in Utah’s economy and the unemployment benefit remains time-limited.”

The number of individuals who have not requested a benefit for two consecutive weeks as of Oct. 3 was 3,614, UDWS reports. A total of 19,793 met the same criteria during the previous week.

Nationally, layoffs remained elevated. The Department of Labor reported 898,000 Americans filed new claims last week. Approximately 10 million residents filed for continued benefits, which is a drop by about 1.2 million from the week before.

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.