Fewer people filed new claims for unemployment in Nebraska last week, but the number is still higher than it was before the coronavirus pandemic. The U.S. Department of Labor reports 5,135 new claims during the week that ended May 30, which is 677 less than the number filed the previous week.
The figures are still more than five times higher than they had been in early March, before the pandemic prompted state officials to impose social-distancing restrictions that forced many businesses to close.
Natoinally, 1.9 million people filed for unemployment last week.
Initial claims are filed by individuals to request a determination of eligibility for unemployment insurance benefits. NDOL processes initial unemployment insurance claims and, if an individual meets eligibility criteria, benefits are paid for each week of continued unemployment. Weekly certifications are required in order to claim continued weeks of unemployment and receive payment.
The highest counts of initial claims were in health care and social assistance (455), which decreased 23 percent from the prior week (592). Most industries had declines in initial claims from the prior week. Increases were seen in management of companies and enterprises (162 percent), finance and insurance (11 percent), real estate and rental and leasing (9 percent) and educational services (4 percent).
Continued Unemployment Claims
There were 57,397 continued weeks of regular unemployment claimed last week. This is a decrease from the prior week (59,528), a difference of 2,131 or 3.6 percent. Continued weeks refer to the individual weeks of unemployment claimed after a person applies for benefits. Before the coronavirus pandemic, the highest number of continued weeks was in the second week of 2010 when there were 26,075 continued weeks claimed. There were 17,299 continued weeks of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claimed last week compared to 20,348 the week prior, a decrease of 14.98 percent.
The majority of the top 20 occupations with the largest amount of claimed weeks saw a decline in claims. Since May 9, the occupations with the largest percentage drop in weeks claimed are dental assistants (down 51 percent), dental hygienists ( down 50 percent) and hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists (down 39 percent).”