The number of Idahoans who filed a continued claim for regular state unemployment insurance benefits increased one percent for the week ending Dec. 12 to 10,630, up 81 over the previous week. The four-week moving average for continued claims increased from 9,224 for the week ending Dec. 5 to 9,804.
Initial claims for unemployment benefits totaled 4,083 for the week ending Dec. 12, down by 992 claims, while the four-week moving average decreased by 5 percent to 4,470.
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Dec. 14, 2020
Media Contact: Renee Bade, renee.bade@labor.idaho.gov
Serve Idaho, the Governor’s Commission on Service and Volunteerism, is seeking applicants to serve a three-year term.
The commission is seeking representatives from the following areas:
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
Region
Kootenai County
Openings – Coeur d’Alene
Openings – Post Falls
Sam.Wolkenhauer@labor.idaho.gov, regional economist
Idaho Department of Labor
(208) 457-8789 ext. 4451
For Immediate Release
Contact: Benjamin J. Earwicker, Ph.D., (208) 334-2873 x 4055
December 9, 2020
The Idaho Human Rights Commission strongly denounces the uncivil and threatening behavior against public officials and the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights. Protesting in a manner that degrades, threatens, and intimidates anyone abuses the constitutional right to free speech. We condemn ongoing, reprehensible, and abusive acts against public officials and their families and the posting of Nazi symbols at the Anne Frank Memorial. The Idaho Human Rights Commission stands against such acts of hate and in support of civil and human rights for all Idahoans, regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, ability, sex, or age.
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Note: All federal CARES Act unemployment assistance programs, including PUA will discontinue week ending June 19, 2021. Additional information is available here.
Answer: Congress has passed legislation to extend the CARES Act programs that affect unemployment benefits. Now that it has been signed by President Trump, states will be informed about how to implement the program. Until then, we have no additional details and cannot answer your phone calls regarding the extension. We will post any updates on our FAQs and website as they become available. Please continue to submit your weekly reports.
A: You are correct, unemployment insurance programs and extensions funded by the federal CARES Act expired Dec. 26, 2020, including Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC).
A: PEUC, or extended benefits program, adds 13 weeks to exhausted unemployment benefits. If you applied for extended benefits on the Claimant Portal, you’ll see confirmation that your extended benefits application was approved on the Claimant Portal home page under Extended Benefits.
PUA is for self-employed, low wage earners or workers with denied issues who were unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Individuals who are primarily self-employed uploaded tax information to the Claimant Portal to determine monetary eligibility.
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Dec. 9, 2020
Media Contacts: Georgia Smith, Georgia.Smith@labor.idaho.gov or Darlene Carnopis, Darlene.Carnopis@labor.idaho.gov
The Idaho Department of Labor reminds claimants that federal CARES Act unemployment insurance programs expire Dec. 26.
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), unemployment for self-employed, low wage earners and workers with denied issues, and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), an extension that adds weeks to exhausted unemployment benefits, are the two programs set to expire.
As of October, Idaho has recovered faster than most other states from the sudden, enormous economic losses caused by the coronavirus shutdowns in March and April. Idaho’s long-term population and economic growth gives it strong upward economic momentum. In addition, the shutdowns in the state at that time did not as severely restrict economic activity as it did in many other states.
Despite Idaho’s relative success, it’s not back to normal, and 26,400 more Idahoans were unemployed in October than in February, according to seasonally adjusted labor force statistics from the Idaho Department of Labor. In the uncertain atmosphere caused by COVID-19 and a global economic slowdown, it’s likely that restoring all the jobs lost during the pandemic will take several months. Continue reading
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Dec. 3, 2020
Media Contacts: Craig Shaul, Craig.Shaul@labor.idaho.gov or Salvador Vazquez, Salvador.Vazquez@labor.idaho.gov
The number of Idahoans who filed a continued claim for regular state unemployment insurance benefits increased 3 percent for the week ending Nov. 28 to 9,245, up 452 more than the previous week. The four-week moving average for continued claims increased from 8,343 for the week ending Nov. 21 to 8,623.
Initial claims for unemployment benefits totaled 3,991 for the week ending Nov. 28, down by 741 claims, while the four-week moving average increased by less than a percent to 4,698.
An increase in initial claims and continued claims for regular state benefits is normal for November, December and January due to the ongoing seasonality of Idaho’s economy. Claims related to COVID-19 may disrupt or exacerbate this normal seasonal pattern.
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Nov. 27, 2020
Media Contacts: Darlene Carnopis, Darlene.Carnopis@labor.idaho.gov or Salvador Vazquez, Salvador.Vazquez@labor.idaho.gov
The number of Idahoans who filed a continued claim for regular state unemployment insurance benefits increased 2 percent for the week ending Nov. 21 to 8,793, up 483 more than the previous week. The four-week moving average for continued claims increased from 8,150 for the week ending Nov. 14 to 8,343.
Initial claims for unemployment benefits totaled 4,732 for the week ending Nov. 21, down by 328 claims, while the four-week moving average increased by 5 percent to 4,680.
An increase in initial claims and continued claims for regular state benefits is normal for November, December and January due to the ongoing seasonality of Idaho’s economy. Claims related to COVID-19 may disrupt or exacerbate this normal seasonal pattern.
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Nov. 20, 2020
Media Contact: Renee Bade, renee.bade@labor.idaho.gov
Three volunteers were recognized for their outstanding contributions to Idaho during the annual Idaho Philanthropy Day Awards held earlier this month.
Alina Rahim, Bill “Action” Jackson and Mary Robinette all received the Gov. Cecil D. Andrus Volunteer of the Year award in the ceremony, presented by the Idaho Nonprofit Center in partnership with Serve Idaho, the Governor’s Commission on Service and Volunteerism. Tracy Andrus, daughter of the late Gov. Andrus, presented the awards to each of the winners during the virtual ceremony.
Rahim of Pocatello was recognized for her volunteer contributions in eastern Idaho. At age 13, she created an organization called Youth Activism Society (YAS) whose mission is to empower local youth to advocate for marginalized communities and volunteer with local initiatives. The organization has expanded with five chapters across the United States. Outside of her work with YAS, Rahim has volunteered with The Idaho Foodbank, her local soup kitchen, the Shoshone-Bannock tribe and in medical clinics in Nepal.