DETR: Initial Claims at Lowest Point Since Mid-March; Continued Claims Below 200,000 for First Time Since Mid-April

Finalized data from the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR) show initial claims for unemployment insurance (UI) totaled 7,525 for the week ending September 26, down 673

claims, or 8.2 percent, compared to last week’s total of 8,198 claims. This is the lowest weekly total of initial claims filed since mid-March.

Through the week ending September 26, there have been 704,670 initial claims filed in 2020, 680,754 of which have been filed since the week ending March 14.

Continued claims, which represent the current number of insured unemployed workers filing weekly for unemployment insurance benefits, fell for the seventh consecutive week to 190,613, a decline of 12,795 claims, or 6.3 percent, from the previous week’s total of 203,408.

This is the fewest continued claims since the report week ending April 11 when there were 189,007 claims filed.

Nevada’s insured unemployment rate, which is the ratio of continued claims in a week to the total number of jobs covered by the unemployment insurance system (also known as covered employment), fell by 1.0 percentage points to 13.7 percent. It should be noted that the calculation of the insured unemployment rate is different from that of the state’s total unemployment rate.

The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, which provides up to 46 weeks of benefits for the self-employed, 1099 contract workers, and gig workers saw 11,198 initial claims filed in the week September 26, a decrease of 240, or 2.1 percent, from last week’s total of 11,438. Through the week ending September 26, 474,133 PUA initial claims have been filed.

PUA continued claims totaled 95,829 in the week ending September 26, a decline of 5,964, or 5.2 percent, from the previous week’s revised total of 101,064. Weekly PUA continued claims are now reported by the benefit week claimed. This follows the reporting procedure for regular continued claims and allows us to understand the number of unemployed workers filing weekly for PUA benefits.

Nevada’s Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program, which provides up to 13 weeks of benefits to individuals who have exhausted their regular unemployment benefits, saw 37,346 claims filed in the week, an increase of 5,964 claims from a week ago. PEUC claims are expected to increase as large groups of regular program filers exhaust their regular unemployment benefits.

Nevada’s State Extended Benefit (SEB) program, which provides up to 20 weeks of benefits to individuals who have exhausted both their regular unemployment benefits and PEUC program benefits, saw 4,146 claims filed in the week, an increase of 379 claims from a week ago.

Nationally, the advance figure for unadjusted regular initial claims was, 786,942 a decrease of 40,263 claims from the previous week. The national insured unemployment rate for the week ending September 19 was 7.8 percent, a 0.7 percentage point decline from the previous week’s rate. The national rate is reported with a one-week lag.

To file for unemployment in the State of Nevada, please use the online application available 24/7 at http://ui.nv.gov/css.html. People unable to file online may file via telephone by calling a UI Claims Call Center between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Monday through Friday and Saturday between 8 a.m. and noon. Northern UI Call Center: (775) 684-0350; Southern UI Call Center: (702) 486-0350; Rural areas and Out-of-State: (888) 890-8211. Claimants are highly encouraged to use the internet to file their UI claims, as it is the fastest and most convenient way to file and reserves the phone lines for individuals who are not able or do not have the necessary resources to file online. Online filing during non-peak hours, such as early mornings, at night or weekends is also highly recommended. To continue to receive benefits, claimants must file weekly.

DETR is actively working with law enforcement entities and the Department of Labor to detect, prevent and address unemployment fraud. Employers and individuals who believe they have been a victim of unemployment fraud, can file a report with the agency by visiting www.detr.nv.gov and selecting the Fraud Reporting Form on the left under “Quick links.” Once a report is filed with the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR), nothing else is required by the reporting party. DETR will flag the account so payments are not issued. If needed, the Department may reach out for additional information. To view what additional steps individuals and employers can take should they believe a fraudulent claim has been filed, review DETR’s fraud flyer located on the Bulletin Board at www.detr.nv.gov.

For Nevada workers who are self-employed, 1099 contract workers, and gig workers, Nevada’s Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program (PUA) is available. For further information regarding the PUA program visit, detr.nv.gov/pua#. Individuals will be able to file online at www.employnv.gov or call the PUA Call Center at (800) 603-9681 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Monday through Friday, and Saturday between 8 a.m. and noon.

Claimants are encouraged to visit http://ui.nv.gov/css.html and at detr.nv.gov/coronavirus to view important announcements and access essential resources. Online tutorial videos are also available in both English and Spanish and can be viewed on the Nevada Unemployment Insurance YouTube page.

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ABOUT THE RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS BUREAU

The Research and Analysis Bureau is Nevada’s premier source for labor market information. A part of DETR, the Bureau is responsible for creating, analyzing, and reporting Nevada’s labor market information, in cooperation with the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).