Press Release
August 27, 2020
Utah’s Unemployment Insurance Claims Report (August 16-22)
SALT LAKE CITY (August 27, 2020) — The number of total new claims filed for unemployment benefits in Utah was 5,628 for the week of August 16 to August 22, 2020 with a total of $22,919,481 of benefits paid. There were 60,773 continued claims filed during that same week.
|
Traditional Unemployment Insurance Claims - August 16-22 |
|||||||
|
New Claims |
% Change |
Continued Claims |
% Change |
Benefits Paid |
% Change |
$600 Stimulus |
|
|
08/16 to 08/22 |
2,999 |
54,230 |
$15,609,340 |
Federal Funding Expired July 25, 2020 |
|||
|
Week Prior (08/09 to 08/15) |
3,004 |
-.2% |
60,263 |
-10% |
$17,218,571 |
-9.3% |
|
|
2019 Weekly Average |
1,131 |
165% |
8,856 |
512% |
$2,876,354 |
443% |
|
|
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) Claims - August 16-22 |
|||||||
|
New Claims |
% Change |
Continued Claims |
% Change |
Benefits Paid |
% Change |
$600 Stimulus |
|
|
08/16 to 08/22 |
957 |
6,543 |
$1,660,398 |
Federal Funding Expired July 25, 2020 |
|||
|
Week Prior (08/09 to 08/15) |
820 |
16.711% |
6,721 |
-3% |
$1,843,281 |
-9.9% |
|
|
Extended Unemployment Benefits August 16-22 |
Total New Claims and Benefits Paid March 15 to August 16, 2020 |
||||||
|
New Claims |
% Change |
Benefits Paid |
Traditional (State) |
PUA (Federal) |
Extended (Federal) |
$600 Stimulus (Federal) |
|
|
08/16 to 08/22 |
1,672 |
$2,836,570 |
227,210 |
43,970 |
14,258 |
||
|
Week Prior (08/09 to 08/15) |
1,497 |
11.711% |
$2,660,305 |
$458,192,298 |
$50,886,064 |
$23,027,011 |
$840,266,605 |
The number of individuals who have not requested a benefit for two consecutive weeks as of August 15, 2020 was 7,537. A total of 7,412 met the same criteria during the previous week.
“For two consecutive weeks we have seen more than 7,000 people stop requesting the unemployment benefit; a positive sign that many have reconnected into the workforce,” said Kevin Burt, Unemployment Insurance Division director for the Utah Department of Workforce Services. “However, we also continue to see over 5,000 new claims a week, indicating that COVID-19 continues to be disruptive and the need for this critical benefit remains.”
The state continues to pursue the short term stimulus payment available through Lost Wages Assistance. Lost Wages Assistance is only immediately available for three weeks from July 26, 2020, through August 15, 2020. Individuals are eligible if their weekly unemployment benefit amount was at least $100, they were eligible for one of the standard unemployment programs and they were unemployed or partially unemployed as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Benefits will be automatically calculated and distributed mid-September based on unemployment claims received; individuals do not need to call or apply separately for this benefit.
New Claims (Weekly)
Continued Claims (Weekly)
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.
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