New Idaho unemployment claims drop 8%

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — State officials said Thursday that new unemployment claims dropped 8% last week to 3,631 when compared to the week before that.

The Idaho Department of Labor also said that the number of people requesting a benefit payment with a continued claim dropped 23% to 36,764. That’s the largest drop in six consecutive weeks of declines.

The agency said it paid out a record $86 million in claims last week.

Idaho’s economy started shedding jobs in March when the coronavirus entered the state and Gov. Brad Little issued an emergency declaration followed by a stay-at-home order.

The state received more than 150,000 initial claims for unemployment benefits during the 13 weeks following the emergency declaration.

Restrictions have been lifted gradually over the last six weeks as Little seeks to reopen the state during the pandemic. The state is currently in the fourth and final stage of Little's plan, with gatherings of more than 50 people allowed.

However, the number of people becoming infected has spiked in recent days and there's concern that at least parts of the state might slip back into more restrictions.