Idaho unemployment claims soar 1,200% amid coronavirus pandemic

Idaho workers who were laid off amid the coronavirus pandemic filed 13,341 new unemployment insurance claims from March 15-21, a 1200% increase in claims filed a week prior, according to the Idaho Department of Labor.

“Our priority is to get benefits out to those who are eligible as quickly as possible and help Idaho employers who are hiring find the staff they need as soon as possible,” Jani Revier, Idaho Department of Labor director, said in a statement.

The department encourages workers applying for benefits to read frequently asked questions on its website and organize the past two years of work history beforehand to speed up the process.