Updated: 8:52 AM CST Jan 7, 2021 The number of Iowans filing continuing jobless claims in the last week increased by nearly 6,000.Iowa Workforce Development reports there were 8,236 initial claims filed between Dec. 27 and Jan. 2, an increase of 1,095 over the previous week. The number of continuing weekly unemployment claims was 43,901, an increase of 5,878 from the previous week.For the week ending Jan. 2, 2021, IWD reports unemployment insurance benefit payments totaled $12,894,945.67. IWD reports the following industries had the most claims: Construction (2,026) Manufacturing (1,698) Industry Not Available - Self-employed, Independent Contractors, etc (731) Administrative, Support, Waste Management, and Remediation Services (555) Retail Trade (469)âNovember through February are typically the months IWD sees the most unemployment claims, driven by increased claims in construction, agriculture, landscaping and ma
No initial Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) claims were filed due to the expiration of the CARES Act and federal unemployment benefits on Dec. 26. Any COVID-19 impacted worker that was receiving federal CARES Act unemployment assistance is not able to file or receive benefits since these programs were ended on December 26th, CDLE said.
CDLE said that any new programs authorized by the Continued Assistance Act will be implemented once federal guidance is received and systems are programed for the new benefits.
CDLE previously warned this process would take several weeks, and warned that the payment of federal benefits would likely not resume until late January or early February.
By Jason Taylor
DES MOINES, Iowa - Iowa s weekly jobless claims are taking a hit.
First time claims are up substantially, while ongoing weekly claims are 13 percent higher than the previous week.
Ongoing claims are more closely related to the actual unemployment rate.
Iowa Workforce Development says jobless claims typically spike in and around the end of the year holiday period when seasonal layoffs occur.
By the numbers, weekly jobless claims are up 1,095, from 7,141 to 8,236, reflecting the nearly 13 percent increase.
Ongoing claims increased by 5,878, from 38,023 to 43,901, also an increase of 13 percent.
By comparison, ongoing claims reached a peak in the early stages of the pandemic of more than 191,000 in late May.