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Idaho unemployment claims drop 17% in a week

Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, however, Idaho workers are still filing six times as many claims as they were this time last summer.

BOISE, Idaho — The number of unemployed jobseekers in Idaho dipped last week, falling 17 percent from the week before, the Idaho Department of Labor reported.

New initial unemployment claims totaled 4,703 for the week of July 19-25, dropping by nearly 1,000 claims from the week of July 12-18.

Continued claims also fell, but by a smaller margin: Those requests for benefit payments went down 4% to 26,445 claims total. According to the Department of Labor, last week marked the 12th straight week of declines. 

Still, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, Idaho workers are still filing six times as many claims as they were this time last summer.

RELATED: US economy shrank at record-breaking 33% rate last quarter

Officials say slightly more women than men - 52% - are filing for unemployment, and the industries most affected are manufacturing, healthcare, accommodation and food services, and retail.

Workers aged 25-34 filed a quarter of the total unemployment claims last week, followed closely by workers in the 35-44 age bracket. Those under 25 filed 18% of claims, while the 45-54 crowd filed 17%.

In all, the total benefit payments to Idahoans laid off for reasons connected to COVID-19 have reached $714 million

RELATED: Restaurant closures and layoffs: The impact of the coronavirus outbreak being felt across the Treasure Valley

The week ending July 25 marks the last week in which Americans can get the extra $600 unemployment payout provided by the CARES Act. Congress has declined to extend the payments. 

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