Initial Claims for Unemployment Insurance Total 79,285; Continued Claims Reach All-Time High

Finalized data from the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR) show initial claims for unemployment insurance totaled 79,285 regular initial claims for the week ending March 4, up 7,343 claims, or 10.2 percent compared to last week’s total of 71,942.

This is the second highest weekly total in state history. Through week ending April 4, there have been 271,533 initial claims filed in 2020, this is 28,417 more than the state saw in the last two years combined.

Continued claims, which represent the current number of insured unemployed workers filing for unemployment insurance benefits, totaled 131,121 in the week, an increase of 72,323 claims from a week ago and the most in Nevada history. This week’s total broke the previous all-time high of 84,113 for the week ending May 20, 1989. Continued claims, which lag initial claims, will continue to rise in the coming weeks.

State level data from the U.S. Department of Labor can be found here (DOL Weekly Claims Report). Please note that state data from the U.S. Department of Labor tends to be released more slowly than national data. View the state level unemployment insurance claims report for the week ending April 4 here (Weekly Report). A dashboard for Nevada weekly claims can be found here (Weekly Dashboard). A monthly claims dashboard can be found here (Monthly Dashboard). View county and city claims trends here (County & City Dashboard). Dashboards are interactive reports that allow you to dig deeper into the data.

Nationally, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims rose to 6,606,000, a decrease of 261,000 from the previous week's revised level of 6,867,000. As is the case with Nevada, the last three weeks have been the highest initial claims totals in United States history.

Each Thursday, the United States Department of Labor Employment & Training Administration (DETR) releases preliminary unemployment insurance weekly claims data for the prior week. Following this release, the Nevada Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation may release its finalized claims data for the same period. Currently, data is available through April 4, 2020. Claims are split into “initial claims,” which correspond to recent layoffs, and “continued claims” which are the regular process of requesting benefits for a particular week. Claimants will typically have a single initial claim, followed by a period of weekly/continued claims. The finalized claims number can differ from the preliminary claims number, as the finalized number does not include interstate claims.

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. Northern UI Call Center: (775) 684-0350; Southern UI Call Center: (702) 486-0350; Rural areas & 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.

Claimants are encouraged to visit this site 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).