SALT LAKE CITY — Continued claims for unemployment benefits have dropped for eight consecutive weeks in Utah.
The Department of Workforce Services released jobless claims for the week of March 21-27 Thursday morning.
New claims are up in Utah and in the U.S. Continued claims are down nationally and in Utah.
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The number of total new claims filed for unemployment benefits in Utah was 3,976 for the week of March 21–27, 2021, with a total of $18,697,878 of benefits paid. There were 28,388 continued claims filed during that same week.
The number of individuals who have not requested a benefit for two consecutive weeks as of March 20, 2021, was 2,046. A total of 2,330 met the same criteria during the previous week.
“We continue to see an overall decline in continued claims, with continued claims having decreased for eight consecutive weeks and down nearly 20% from the end of January 2021,” said Kevin Burt, director of the Unemployment Insurance Division for the Utah Department of Workforce Services. “The critical unemployment benefit is and has provided some short-term stability; however, the strong economy is helping people find long-term stability in employment.”
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