Applications for unemployment insurance in Idaho are up 1300% from just last week.
The spread of coronavirus means businesses are closing for now, and laying off workers. Some closures are voluntary, while Boise has mandated restaurants to close to dine-in guests. Idaho Labor Department Director Jani Revier told Idaho Matters Tuesday she’s seeing a spike in unemployment claims and her staff is overwhelmed, trying to answer everyone’s questions. "There's a lot of nuances to unemployment insurance law,” she said.
The good news is, the federal government just passed an act allowing states to decide whether or not to keep the current one-week waiting period.
Plus, Revier says Idaho is in a good place economically, unlike before the 2008 recession. She’s not worried about running out of unemployment funds again. But, she said, “It’s impossible to say with 100 percent certainty that we have everything we need in our trust fund.”
Her advice to anyone facing a layoff who’s unsure if they qualify? “We encourage people to go ahead and apply, get that claim active and then we can work through those issues,” she said. She also pointed to the FAQ page on labor.idaho.gov, which has the answer to most questions.
As COVID-19 cases spread through the U.S. and Idaho, we’re committed to keeping you updated and informed. You can get updated info on cases, closures and how to stay healthy at any time on our Coronavirus news blog.
Idaho Matters is working on a story about how families are dealing with school closures during the coronavirus outbreak. Parents: What do your days look like now? Are you creating structure, or are you letting your kids have an extended spring break? Kids: What do you like about being at home, and what do you miss about school and being with your friends? Using your smartphone, please send us a voice memo with your family. Tell us about your daily routine, or about what your’e doing to stay distracted or learning. Send the voice memo to idahomatters@boisestate.edu. We might use your message in an upcoming show.
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