Iowa Workforce Development reports initial unemployment insurance claims filed for week of November 1-7, 2020
DES MOINES – The number of initial claims in Iowa, filed between Sunday, Nov. 1, and Saturday, Nov. 7, was 5,576, an increase of 967. There were 5,036 initial claims by individuals who work and live in Iowa, and 540 claims by individuals who work in Iowa and live in another state. The number of continuing weekly unemployment claims was 35,660, a decrease of 1,322 from the previous week. November through February are traditionally the months we see the most unemployment claims, driven by increased claims in construction, agriculture, landscaping and manufacturing due to seasonal layoffs. For the week ending Nov. 7, 2020, nearly 45% of claimants indicated their claims were not COVID-19 related.
The U.S. Department of Labor adjusted last week’s initial claim number to 4,609 (a decrease of 355) and continuing claims to 36,982 (a decrease of 308 for a total decrease of 663 overall). Iowa Workforce Development relies upon the weekly data released by the U.S. Department of Labor to report its numbers and as such, adopts the revisions to the previously published data.
For the week ending Nov. 7, 2020, unemployment insurance benefit payments totaled $10,139,790.87. The following industries had the most claims:
Manufacturing (1,005)
Industry Not Available – Self-employed, Independent Contractors, etc (743)
Construction (634)
Health Care & Social Assistance (629)
Retail Trade (365)
A total of $1,450,800 in Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) benefits was paid, which were retroactive payments as the program ended July 25, 2020. Since April 4, 2020, a total of $1,619,918,833 in FPUC benefits has been paid.
A total of $3,621,167.53 was paid in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits. Since April 13, 2020, a total of $143,275,764.92 in PUA benefits has been paid.
A total of $8,129,629.97 in benefits has been paid in Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) benefits. Since May 27, 2020, a total of $125,145,460.25 in PEUC benefits have been paid.
A total of $1,625,662.53 was paid in State Extended Benefits (EB). Since July 21, 2020, a total of $17,338,284.30 in State EB has been paid. The United States Department of Labor notified Iowa that due to our economic recovery, the State EB program ended the week ending October 31, 2020. EB cannot be paid to any claimant for weeks of unemployment after October 31, 2020, even if they have not yet received 13 weeks of EB. Those claimants who lose EB may be eligible for the PUA benefit program if they have remaining benefit weeks available in their current benefit year. Claimants may apply for PUA at www.iowaworkforcedevelopment.gov/pua-information.
The Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) program ended after six weeks of benefits were approved by FEMA. Iowans whose unemployment is the result of the pandemic, and who are eligible for at least $100 in benefits each week, will qualify for up to a maximum of six weeks of $300 in additional weekly benefits. Since September 3, 2020, Iowa has paid a total of $154,272,900 in LWA benefits. More information can be found here: https://www.iowaworkforcedevelopment.gov/lost-wages-assistance.
IWD has reinstated the work search requirement. Those who will be required to begin work searches will be notified by IWD. We have also posted updates on our website regarding this requirement. There are currently almost 65,000 job openings at https://www.iowaworks.gov. Not all claimants will be required to begin work searches, including for example, those who are receiving PUA benefits due to a medical condition or lack of childcare.
Employers are required to notify their employees about Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits in accordance with Iowa Administrative Code Section 871-22.19. The requirement ensures that workers are aware of the benefits they may be eligible for if they become unemployed or experience a reduction in hours.
Employees and employers who have questions regarding returning to work should review the Frequently Asked Questions for each group on our website. Assistance for employers can be found here: https://www.iowaworkforcedevelopment.gov/sites/search.iowaworkforcedevelopment.gov/files/content-files/FAQs%20Employers%2009.3.20.pdf
Employees can find assistance here: https://www.iowaworkforcedevelopment.gov/sites/search.iowaworkforcedevelopment.gov/files/content-files/FAQs%20Workers%2009.10.20.pdf
For more information on the total data for this week’s unemployment claims, please visit https://www.iowalmi.gov/unemployment-insurance-statistics
