Idaho’s unemployment reached new heights for the month of April.
On Friday, state labor officials say the coronavirus has led to an all time Idaho unemployment rate of 11.5 percent for the month of April. The number increased 9 percentage points after a record low of 2.5 percent in March.
CBS2 reports during the Great Recession in 2009, Idaho’s unemployment reached a high of 9.6 percent. The previous high was 10.2 percent in December 1982.
As of May 16, the state says it has paid out $240 million in payments related to COVID-19. The state says 136,901 workers have filed for unemployment benefits during Idaho’s state of emergency.
Nationally, unemployment reached 14.7 percent in April affecting 23.1 million in April.
