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Brief
Iowa’s unemployment rate was up slightly as more people entered the workforce. (Photo by Jetta Productions Inc./Getty Images)
The number of newly filed claims for unemployment benefits dropped again in Iowa last week, from 7,441 to 6,765.
Both numbers reflect the totals prior to adjustments made by the U.S. Department of Labor. The previous week’s adjusted total of new claims is 6,970.
The number of ongoing, weekly unemployment claims for the week ending Aug. 1 was 104,970, a decrease of 5,072 from the previous week’s adjusted total of 110,042.
As in all states, Iowa’s number of unemployment cases remains elevated as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, initial filings ranged from 1,000 to 3,000. In April, as the pandemic worsened, they peaked at 64,194 in one week.
The $29,938,690 in benefits paid in Iowa last week included these industries with the most claims:
- Manufacturing: 1,429
- Self-employed, independent contractors: 981
- Health care and social assistance: 648
- Retail: 458
- Education services: 407
A total of $78,571,800 in Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) benefits, and a total of $4,772,777 was paid in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits was paid during the week ending Aug. 1.
A total of $3,733,221 in benefits was paid in Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) benefits for that same week.
Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation benefits ended July 25th in Iowa, which means the $600 weekly additional benefit stopped.
Claimants are now seeing a corresponding decrease in their weekly benefit amount, but those who have exhausted the additional 13 weeks of PEUC benefits may now be eligible for State Extended Benefits announced in June.
Claimants should continue to file weekly claims so that their claims can be reviewed to determine eligibility for State Extended Benefits.
Those benefits may provide eligible claimants up to 13 weeks of additional unemployment benefits, though not everyone who qualified for PEUC is eligible for State Extended Benefits.
For more information, visit: https://www.iowaworkforcedevelopment.gov/state-extended-benefits
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