Utah's deregulating the workforce is something the rest of the nation could learn from. It's a topic discussed Tuesday on Inside Sources with Boyd Matheson. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Local officials say a historic number of Utahns continue to collect unemployment, although weekly stimulus money is set to expire soon.
The latest numbers from the Department of Workforce Services indicate that 81,545 people received traditional unemployment benefits for the week of June 28 to July 4. That’s a 2.9% decrease from the previous week.
Overall, there is a 3.1% decrease in filings for traditional benefits. A total of $80.4 million was paid out in benefits during the week.
“That is four years of claims that we’ve received in the last 16 weeks,” said Director of Unemployment Insurance Kevin Burt.
That latest report comes just over two weeks away from the June 25 deadline when the unemployment insurance $600 weekly stimulus will expire.
“Those individuals are going to see a 60% reduction in their benefit after that week of July 25,” said Burt.
With that in mind, he urges those currently collecting unemployment to start looking for employment in earnest. According to Burt, unemployment will no longer adequately compensate for a full-time job after July 25.
“Those individuals are going to see a 60% reduction in their benefit after that week,” he explains.
The Department of Workforce Services warns those seeking employment that it may be necessary to change fields. That’s simply because some sectors have been hit harder by the coronavirus pandemic than others.
“So please take a look at jobs available now,” says Burt. “So you can find stability in employment.”
In the entire country, 1.3 million Americans filed new unemployment claims. That number has been falling for more than three months.
Continued claims across the country are at 18.1 million. That includes those who have filed jobless claims for two weeks in a row or more.
If an individual’s employment has been impacted by COVID-19, they should visit the Department of Workforce Services website for updated information and resources.