DETR: Initial Claims Rise Again; Continued Claims Back Above 300,000; PUA Initial Claims Fall Below 20,000

Finalized data from the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR) show initial claims for unemployment insurance (UI) totaled 15,548 for the week ending July 18, up 882 claims, or 6.0 percent, compared to last week’s total of 14,666.

This is the fourth consecutive week of increases in regular initial claims. Through the week ending July 18, there have been 592,700 initial claims filed in 2020, 571,048 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, rose to 306,077, an increase from the previous week of 10,083 claims, or 3.4 percent. This is the third straight week of increases in continued claims.

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), rose by 0.7 percentage points to 22.0 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 for the self-employed, 1099 contract workers, and gig workers saw 19,557 initial claims filed in the week ending July 18, a decrease of 7,442, or 27.6 percent, from last week’s total of 26,999. Since the PUA program began, 332,536 initial claims have been filed.

PUA continued claims totaled 132,595 in the week ending July 18, a decline of 20,693 from the previous week’s revised total of 153,288. 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 11,963 claims filed in the week, an increase of 1,506 from a week ago.

Nevada’s State Extended Benefit (SEB) program, which provides up to 13 weeks of benefits to individuals who have exhausted both their regular unemployment benefits and PEUC program benefits, saw 308 claims filed in the week, an increase of 223 from a week ago.

Nationally, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted regular initial claims was 1,416,000 an increase of 109,000 claims from the previous week's revised level of 1,307,000. The national insured unemployment rate for the week ending July 11 was 11.1 percent, a decrease of 0.7 percentage points from the previous week’s revised 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.

Online filers are encouraged to participate in the online claim filing system announced in April. The system, now operational, is organized by last names and is aimed at providing quicker results for Nevadans seeking to gain access to unemployment benefits: Claimants with last names starting with A-K are asked to file on Sundays. Last names L-R are asked to file on Mondays. Last names S-Z are asked to file on Tuesday. Wednesday through Saturday are open for all to initiate or renew claims online.

For Nevada workers who are self-employed, 1099 contract workers, and gig workers, Nevada’s Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program (PUA) is now 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.