DETR reports another increase in claims

Filings under PUA program down in weekly report

The Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation hosted its weekly media briefing Friday to update Nevadans about unemployment insurance.

The briefing was led by Employment Security Division Administrator Kimberly Gaa and Chief Economist David Schmidt and marked five weeks that the agency has gone without a director following the June 19 resignation of Heather Korbulic.

Schmidt recapped the latest unemployment claim numbers, noting the department has seen 592,700 initial claims filed this year through the week ending July 18.

Regular initial claims were 15,548 for the week ending July 18, up 882 claims from the previous week.

Self-employed workers and independent contractors under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program filed 19,557 initial claims for the same week, down about 28 percent, or 7,442 claims, from the previous week.

System updates

Gaa reminded claimants to redetermine their eligibility for unemployment benefits because of a new claim quarter, which started July 5.

“If you have traditional UI or PUA eligibility or state extended benefit eligibility you are required to file for those benefits if you are eligible,” Gaa said.

In response to filers asking why there have been date changes on their expected payment dates and payment delays, she said that is because the department must review the payments.

“We are aware that this is frustrating for filers as you wait for these funds to become available,” Gaa said. “We continue to work with our vendor to automate this process and make it more efficient.”

She also said specific transactions

declined on a regular or PUA filers’ debit card should be dealt with through the claimant’s banking institution. Claimants with suspended or frozen accounts should contact the department’s call center and be prepared to provide identity information.

Gaa emphasized the appeals function for PUA filers is operational and filers are able to request appeals through the Employnv website.

“Appeal requests for previously issued eligibility determination will be honored for 30 calendar days from July 18,” she said, adding that filers can also call the PUA call center for help on filing an appeal.

Contact Subrina Hudson at shudson@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0340. Follow @Subrinah on Twitter.