South Dakota unemployment claims down in new jobs report

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - Unemployment benefits claims reached pre-pandemic levels in South Dakota’s latest jobs report.

The Department of Labor reported 248 initial weekly unemployment claims Thursday, down nearly 200 from the previous week’s total.

Thursday’s first-time total is among the lowest since the coronavirus pandemic began impacting the economy a year ago. Prior to the outbreak, the state saw an average of roughly 200-300 claims per week. That number spiked to several thousand weekly claims in the early months of the pandemic, and has hovered between 400-800 in recent months.

Continued unemployment claims fell by over 250 to 5,707, though this number still remains above what the state generally experienced prior to the pandemic.

Officials say total of $1.3 million was paid out in state benefits, in addition to $1.6 million in Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, $166,000 in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and $297,000 in Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation benefits.

The Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund balance was $152.6 million on March 7.

Nationwide jobless claims also fell to the lowest number since November on Thursday.