The Idaho Department of Labor is modifying how it publishes its weekly update of claims for unemployment insurance benefits. A new PDF report will be available that includes initial claims, regular continued claims, as well as expanded CARES act continued claims for 2021. The Unemployment Insurance Claims dashboard, and the downloadable Excel data file will both be updated on the department’s Weekly UI Claims webpage as normal. The department will no longer post the weekly claim numbers on the Idaho@Work blog.
A Closer Look at Idaho’s Financial Activities Sector in the Past Decade
The economic slowdown following the initial COVID-19 pandemic effects drove many industries to lose jobs temporarily – and some permanently – across Idaho and the United States. Idaho had been in the midst of a growth streak pre-pandemic, with a 2.5 percent unemployment rate in March. But shortly after, Idaho’s employment dropped nearly 10 percent from March to April – from roughly 873,000 jobs to 789,000. The impact, however, was not equally damaging across all industries. Some industries such as financial activities and construction have had over-the-year growth at a much higher rate than the nation. Nationally, employment within the financial activities industry declined.
To determine possible reasons for this disparity, the Idaho Department of Labor conducted a shift-share analysis over a 10-year period to isolate the effects of changing employment among financial sectors.
Find the research report on the Department of Labor website.
– Idaho Department of Labor
Around Idaho: Economic Activity in December 2020
Information provided in these news updates is from professional sources, news releases, weekly and daily newspapers, television and other media.
Northern Idaho
North Central Idaho
Southwestern Idaho
South Central Idaho
Southeastern Idaho
Eastern Idaho
NORTHERN IDAHO – Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Kootenai & Shoshone Counties
Kootenai County
- MetalQuest Unlimited, a precision machine manufacturer based in Nebraska, has chosen Post Falls for its new manufacturing facility. The company, which specializes in precision production for clients in oil, agriculture and firearms manufacturing, expects to begin production at its new Post Falls facility by the end of January, with roughly 25 employees at first. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press
- Health care providers in Kootenai County have received the first batches of COVID-19 vaccine and have begun vaccinating frontline medical staff. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press
- The JC Penny in the Silver Lake Mall is now slated to close in the spring after being included in the company’s recent list of planned store closures. The store had been an anchor tenant of the Silver Lake Mall and was the last remaining JC Penny in North Idaho following the previous closures of stores in Lewiston and Ponderay. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press
- The Post Falls City Council approved the purchase of a $415,000 parcel of riverfront property, which was the final privately held plot in the Post Falls Water Treatment Facility’s easement to the Spokane River. The parcel is expected to be acquired in anticipation of a future expansion of the city’s wastewater treatment capacity. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press
OPENINGS
Coeur d’Alene
- Boho West
- Daybreak Coffee
- Sushi I
- CK Barrel Room
- 208Nutrition
- 208Massage
- Inland Northwest Veterinary Dentistry & Oral Surgery
Hayden
- American Kickboxing Academy.
- MiQuelle’s Natural Bath.
- Mode Salon.
Post Falls
- Family Dollar.
- Jitterz Espresso.
- Hardwick & Sons Hardware.
Sam.Wolkenhauer@labor.idaho.gov, regional economist
Idaho Department of Labor
(208) 457-8789 ext. 4451
Idaho’s Unemployment Continued Claims Increase 14 Percent
The number of Idahoans who filed a continued claim for regular state unemployment insurance benefits increased 14 percent for the week ending Jan. 2 to 13,338, up 1,632 over the previous week. The four-week moving average for continued claims increased from 11,028 for the week ending Dec. 26 to 11,725.
Initial claims for unemployment benefits totaled 4,612 for the week ending Jan. 2, up by 386 claims, while the four-week moving average decreased by 3 percent to 4,219.
Labor Department Partners with ID.me for Claimant Identity Verification
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Jan. 7, 2021
Media Contacts: Darlene Carnopis, darlene.carnopis@labor.idaho.gov or Georgia Smith, georgia.smith@labor.idaho.gov
The Idaho Department of Labor has partnered with ID.me for unemployment insurance claimant identity verification.
The information gathered from claimants is needed to make sure others are not filing claims using the person’s name and other personally identifying information. This is one step Labor is taking to help prevent fraud.
Thousands upon thousands of unemployment insurance claims have been filed by scammers using false or stolen identities across the country. It is estimated these scammers have siphoned off $36 billion in fraudulent unemployment payments from states since the start of the pandemic and the implementation of the CARES Act.
U.S. Department of Labor Recognizes Three Idaho Businesses for Supporting Veterans
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Jan. 7, 2021
Media Contacts: Darlene Carnopis, darlene.carnopis@labor.idaho.gov
National Native American Construction Inc. of Coeur d’ Alene, Independence Indoor Shooting of Meridian and Treasure Valley Advanced Concepts LLC of Nampa each received a 2020 HIRE Vets Medallion Program Award. This U.S. Department of Labor program recognizes U.S. employers for recruiting, hiring and retaining America’s veterans.
The awards were presented in November at a virtual ceremony hosted by U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia at the Department’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Serve Idaho Announces $1.1 Million in Grant Funds Available
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Jan. 4, 2021
Media Contacts: Renee Bade, Renee.Bade@labor.idaho.gov
Idaho nonprofit, educational, community and faith-based organizations, Indian tribes and local governments are eligible for federal funding through AmeriCorps.
Serve Idaho, the Governor’s Commission on Service and Volunteerism, announced that interested organizations have until Feb. 12 to submit an application for the grants that would support the cost of running an AmeriCorps program. Grant awards vary in size based on the size and complexity of the AmeriCorps programs.
FAQs for Unemployment Claimants about the CARES Act Extension
Are the unemployment insurance benefits that are funded through the CARES Act extended?
Yes. On Dec. 27, 2020, Pres. Donald Trump signed a stimulus bill that renews unemployment benefit programs through the CARES Act, that was originally set to expire Dec. 26, 2020.
Will I experience a gap in benefits?
If you were receiving benefits through the CARES Act, and they exhausted, your payments may be delayed. We are working as quickly as possible to implement the extension provisions. Please continue to submit your weekly certifications. You will be paid for all eligible week(s) claimed when the program is fully implemented.
I am currently on an extension. Am I eligible for additional weeks?
Yes. Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), is commonly referred to as extended benefits. The bill added 11 weeks, extending the maximum number of benefit weeks from 13 to 24.
Idaho’s Unemployment Continued Claims Increase 4 Percent
The number of Idahoans who filed a continued claim for regular state unemployment insurance benefits increased 4 percent for the week ending Dec. 26 to 11,706, up 481 over the previous week. The four-week moving average for continued claims increased from 10,412 for the week ending Dec. 19 to 11,028.
Initial claims for unemployment benefits totaled 4,226 for the week ending Dec. 26, up by 270 claims, while the four-week moving average increased by 1 percent to 4,335.
Salmon Native Discovers Path to Teaching Career
There are many advantages to living in a town the size of Salmon, which Hannah Burch found out when she returned to her hometown after living in Alaska for four years.
“My mom ran into Julie Dodd in town and told her I was moving back and would be looking for work,” Hannah said. Julie is the manager of the Idaho Department of Labor Salmon office, and that was the contact she needed.
“Julie met with me and said she might have something,” Hannah said. That something turned into a training opportunity for Hannah to earn elementary education teacher training online through Western Governors University (WGU). And now Hannah, 26, is running a homeschool co-op for kids from kindergarten through sixth grade.