Unemployment claim numbers climb in South Dakota

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - First-time unemployment claims rose once again in South Dakota as the country’s job market continues to fluctuate amid the coronavirus pandemic.

A total of 911 initial weekly claims were made last week, according to the South Dakota Department of Labor. This is an increase of 136 from the previous week’s total.

Prior to the pandemic, first-time claims ranged on average in the 200-300 range. This number spiked into several thousand per week during the early months of the pandemic.

Continued claims fell by 179 to 15,464. This indicates the number of unemployed workers eligible for and receiving benefits after their initial claim.

A total of $2.9 million was paid out in state benefits, in addition to $7.8 million in Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), $941,000 in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and $112,000 in Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) benefits.

The Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund balance was $123.8 million on Aug. 9.

Benefits paid since March 16, according to the Department of Labor: