S.D. unemployment numbers continue historic climb
April 30, 2020
South Dakota added 5,389 initial jobless claims for the week of April 19, according to the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation.
That’s an increase of 94 claims from the prior week’s total of 5,295 initial filings.
A total of $5.1 million was paid out in state benefits, in addition to $11.6 million paid out in Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation benefits. The state’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund balance April 26 was $109.1 million.
“Unemployment claims continue to steadily roll in at historic levels,” Labor Secretary Marcia Hultman said. “The department is monitoring the ever-changing COVID-19 situation to determine the appropriate level of staffing to process and pay claims in a timely manner.”
The latest number of continued claims is 19,664 for the week ending April 11. This indicates the number of unemployed workers eligible for and receiving benefits after their initial claim.
“We have trained about 60 current employees to help with unemployment insurance. This required a great deal of flexibility, adaptability and innovation to meet new programming needs and changing federal guidance,” Hultman said. “I’m extremely proud of how the team has stepped up to help their fellow South Dakotans during this pandemic.”
Nationwide, there were 3.8 million new claims. The total number for the past six weeks has surpassed 30 million.
