Unemployment claims down 12 percent

State Employment Security officials say total unemployment claims were down nearly 12 percent in 2016 compared to the year before that.

Anessandro Capello, an economist with the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation, said monthly initial claims were stable throughout the year with no month exceeding 14,000 unemployment claims. He said that’s the first time since 1999.

“The improved economic conditions in the Silver State are reflected in the decreased levels of unemployment insurance activity,” Capello said. “Nearly every measure of activity saw improvement relative to last year.”

Total benefit payments from the trust fund declined 11 percent to less than $300 million for the first time since 2006.

The initial claim is a person’s first filing for unemployment benefits and reflects the number of people who just recently lost their job.

Initial claims peaked at 36,414 in December 2008. The low point was just 9,358 in September 2016.

For this December, the most recent month for which the state has data, total claims were 13,061, the lowest for that month since 1994.