Category Archives: News Releases

Idaho’s Weekly Initial Claims Due to COVID-19 Exceed 100,000

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: April 23, 2020
Information Contact: Georgia Smith, (208) 332-3570 ext. 2102 or Craig Shaul, (208) 332-3570 ext. 3201

Laid off Idaho workers filed 108,984 initial claims for unemployment benefits during the first five weeks of the COVID-19 state of emergency.

Initial claims reached 13,023 during the week ending April 18, a 30 percent decline from the previous week – but still 12 times greater than all of 2019’s weekly average.

It was the second week the number of new claims fell, while continued claims – the number of valid claims filed by people who are eligible, currently claiming benefits and still unable to Continue reading →

Idaho’s Weekly Initial Claims Exceed Total Filed in 2019

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: April 16, 2020
Information Contact: Georgia Smith, (208) 332-3570 ext. 2102 or Craig Shaul, (208) 332-3570 ext. 3201

Idahoans filed more initial claims for unemployment benefits in the four weeks since the state of emergency was declared – 95,961 – than the total filed during all 2019 by 60 percent.

Initial claims for the week of April 11 filed from job losses due to the coronavirus slowed to 18,531 – down 40 percent from the week prior – but still a record for any week since 2013.

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Labor Department Releases Timeline for Implementing CARES Act Programs

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: April 14, 2020
Information Contact: Georgia Smith, (208) 332-3570 ext. 2102

Idahoans currently receiving unemployment insurance benefits could start seeing the additional $600 federal benefit authorized by Congress under the CARES Act by the end of April.

“We’re making progress on a huge backlog of claims and sending payments out to the people of Idaho,” said Idaho Department of Labor Director Jani Revier. “We still have a lot to do to make sure the funds are administered correctly, but we are making progress.”

The department received as many initial claims for benefits in three weeks – 77,430 – than it received during all of 2019, creating a tremendous backlog of work. However, benefit payments are flowing. The agency paid out $17.95 million in benefits to Idahoans whose jobs are impacted by COVID-19 from March 23 to April 10.

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Labor to Change Phone Availability Times to Help Speed Up Claims Turnaround

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: April 13, 2020
Information Contact: Georgia Smith, (208) 332-3570 ext. 2102

The Idaho Department of Labor is adjusting its phone schedule to accept incoming calls between 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. MST, and is reserving the hours of 4 to 6 p.m. MST for processing claims.

The move is expected to aid hundreds more recently unemployed Idahoans daily by freeing up time for staff to return phone calls, resolve issues preventing payment and process claims more quickly.

“Our goal is serve Idahoans as quickly as possible through this difficult time, and adjusting our phone schedule means we can focus on processing claims so Idahoans will receive their benefit payments sooner. This move reduces wait times for phone calls and click to chat interactions,” said Labor Director Jani Revier.

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Filing for UI Benefits? Double Check that Website.

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: April 9, 2020
Information Contact: Georgia Smith, (208) 332-3570 ext. 2102

Beware of Unemployment Insurance Scams

Idahoans applying for unemployment insurance for the first time should be extra vigilant about what websites they access to file for benefits, according to the Department of Labor.

“People need to be careful,” said Idaho Department of Labor Director Jani Revier. “If you are applying for unemployment benefits, make sure you enter your information into a labor.idaho.gov webpage and not a fake website designed to steal personally identifiable information.”

First-time filers for unemployment insurance represent a large share of Idahoans applying for benefits, and according to the department’s IT security team, hackers are taking full advantage of the urgency people feel around COVID-19.

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Idahoans File 30,904 More Initial Claims for Unemployment Insurance

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: April 9, 2020
Information Contact: Georgia Smith, (208) 332-3570 ext. 2102 or Craig Shaul, (208) 332-3570 ext. 3201

Idaho workers laid off due to the coronavirus filed 30,904 initial claims for unemployment insurance between March 29 and April 4, a decrease of 6.2 percent from the previous week’s record level of 32,941.

The combined three-week total of claims filed since Gov. Brad Little declared a state of emergency the week of March 8 is 77,430 – an increase of 7,400 percent.

Continue reading →

Labor Committed to Help Idahoans Navigate Difficult Times

Implementing CARES Act Will Take Time

by Idaho Department of Labor Director Jani Revier

As Idahoans grapple with the fallout from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and many face an uncertain economic future, I want to assure the people of Idaho that the Department of Labor is here to assist our fellow citizens through these difficult times.

Because of the rapid onset of the pandemic and immediacy of its impact on our economy, states across the country had almost no time to ramp up services to meet the urgent demand. Here in Idaho, we have seen a 4,400 percent increase in the number of claims being filed from the week prior to March 8, when Gov. Brad Little declared a state of emergency. Calls coming into our office have exploded and the sheer volume of web and phone traffic has caused strains on our staff and technical challenges for our systems.

We are redirecting department resources and hiring new people, but it will take time – several weeks – to address the issues and answer every question.

Continue reading →

Idaho Initial Claims for Unemployment Insurance Increase 143%

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: April 2, 2020
Information Contact: Georgia Smith, (208) 332-3570 x 2102 or Craig Shaul, (208) 332-3570 ext. 3201

Idaho workers laid off due to the coronavirus filed 32,941 initial claims for unemployment insurance between March 22-28, 2020, an increase of 143 percent over the previous week.

The 32,941 claims represent a record number of Idaho initial claims filed during one week and is 2.4 times more than filed the previous week.

Department analysts also revised the number of initial claims filed for the week of March 15 -21 to 13,585, pushing the total filed since Gov. Brad Little declared a state of emergency, to 46,526 – an increase of 4,400 percent from the week prior to March 8, 2020.

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CARES Act Takes Time for States to Implement

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: April 1, 2020
Information Contact: Georgia Smith, 208-332-3570 x 2102

Idaho, like all states, will need to change its unemployment insurance system in order to make payments to people authorized to receive additional benefits under the CARES Act.

Congress passed the CARES Act – which includes numerous provisions affecting the national unemployment insurance program – and Pres. Donald Trump signed it last week.

Workers, such as the self-employed and those paid by 1099 or in the gig economy, may be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits under the Act.

Continue reading →

Labor Phone Lines Overloaded with Calls

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: March 30, 2020
Information Contact: Georgia Smith, (208) 332-3570 ext. 2102

People are asked to visit Labor website for answers; file for benefits online

Idaho is one of several states across the nation where the surge of newly laid-off workers is overwhelming state unemployment phone systems. 

Laid-off workers who need to file for benefits – or have questions about unemployment insurance – should file online or visit the agency website instead of calling the department. 

“You do not have to call the department to file a claim. Everything can be done online and most questions can be answered by reviewing the posted material,” said Idaho Department of Labor director Jani Revier. “Our call volume is high and most callers are receiving a busy signal and will not get through.”

Jammed phone lines also prevent the department’s claim specialists from calling out to resolve issues with individual claims. When the department notifies a claimant there is an issue with their claim, the individual needs to wait for an agency claims specialist to call.  Continue reading →