State, Spokane County jobless claims increase

New jobless claims in the state and Spokane County increased last week, according to the Employment Security Department.

Laid-off workers in the state filed 24,587 new jobless claims Nov.29-Dec. 5, a 10.1% increase compared with the previous week, the department said Thursday.

The greatest number of new claims occurred in the accommodation and food services sector with 4,693, followed by construction with 3,569. Health care and social assistance workers filed 1,860.

More than 492,533 claims in all unemployment benefit categories were filed last week, a 7.1% increase from the previous week, the department said.

The ESD paid more than $148.8 million in benefits for the week ending Dec. 5. It has paid more than $12.8 billion in benefits since the pandemic’s onset in the state in March.

Laid off workers in Spokane County filed 1,859 new unemployment claims the week ending Dec. 5, a 9.2% increase compared with 1,703 claims filed a week prior, according to the ESD.

In the county, 606 new claims last week were from undisclosed professions, which have not yet been categorized into a specific job sector. Employees in food services and drinking places filed 368, and specialty trade contractors filed 185, according to ESD data.