DETR: Initial claims for regular program see little change; Pandemic Unemployment Assistance initial claims remain elevated

For the week ending December 12, initial claims for Unemployment Insurance (UI) totaled 9,027, up 244 claims, or 2.8 percent, compared to the previous week’s total of 8,783 claims, according to finalized data from the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR).

Through the week ending December 12, there have been a total of 792,411 initial claims filed in 2020, 770,759 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, totaled 84,416, a decrease of 1,264 claims, or 1.5 percent, from the previous week’s total of 85,680.

Nevada’s Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program, which currently provides up to 13 weeks of benefits to individuals who have exhausted their regular unemployment benefits, saw 98,209 claims filed in the week, an increase of 31 claims from last week’s total of 98,178.

Nevada’s State Extended Benefit (SEB) program currently provides up to 20 weeks of benefits to individuals who have exhausted both their regular and PEUC program benefits. Nevada saw 18,705 claims filed in the week, an increase of 1,931 claims from a week ago.

The insured unemployment rate for the regular UI program, which is the ratio of regular continued claims in a week to the total number of jobs covered by the unemployment insurance system (also known as covered employment), was virtually unchanged at 6.1 percent. Including claimants in the benefit extension programs, the rate, more appropriately called the extended insured unemployment rate, was considerably higher at 14.4 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 benefits for self-employed, 1099 contract workers, and gig workers saw 46,755 initial claims filed in the week ending December 12, a decrease of 14,535 claims, or 23.7 percent, from last week’s total of 61,290. Through the week ending December 12, there have been a total of 766,005 PUA initial claims filed.

There were 79,424 PUA continued claims filed in the week ending December 12, a decrease of 4,353 claims, or 5.2 percent, from the previous week’s revised total of 83,777. This is the fewest continued claims filed in any week for the PUA program. Applications in the PUA program continue to be highly variable. Future research may help us to understand this volatility; however, DETR’s current focus is resolving claims for eligible Nevadans.

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 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 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 Unemployment Fraud tab on the left under “Quick links” and clicking on “Report Fraud to DETR.” 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 if 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 or 775-298-6007 or 702-329-6699 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 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).