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Nebraska New Unemployment Claims On The Decline

By News Aug 6, 2020 | 1:02 PM
The Nebraska Department of Labor announced today that there were 2,839 new regular unemployment claims filed last week, a decrease of 19.8 percent over the prior week, when 3,543 claims were filed. Last week’s count was the lowest since the week ending March 14, when 796 initial claims were filed. The highest number of new claims filed during the pandemic was 26,539 claims during the week ending April 4.
 
There were 1,150 new Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims filed last week compared to 1,570 the prior week, a decrease of 26.7 percent. Sp
 
Continued Unemployment Claims:  There were 41,913 continued weeks of regular unemployment claimed last week, a decrease over the prior week, when 45,057 claims were filed. There were 23,416 continued weeks of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claimed last week, down compared to 26,621 the prior week. 
 
Continued weeks refer to the individual weeks of unemployment claimed after a person applies for benefits. Weekly certifications are required in order to claim continued weeks of unemployment and receive payment. 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. 
 
Of the top 50 occupations with the highest number of continued claims, 24 have declined by 30 percent or more since the week ending May 9.  Thirty two out of the top 50 have declined by 20 percent or more. The top continued claim occupations  were waiters and waitresses (2,223), Cashiers (1,936), and customer service representatives (1,1413).

Nebraska Department of Labor paid a total of $45.3 million in benefits last week, including Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, $600 CARES Act Payments and Emergency Unemployment Com