New unemployment claims for this week increased by nearly 37 percent over the previous week, Iowa Workforce Development reported Wednesday.

That’s a larger increase than the 21 percent jump in new claims that Iowa recorded for the week of Nov. 8.

A total of 9,458 new claims were filed, an increase of 3,466 from the previous week’s adjusted numbers. The 37,112 continuing weekly jobless claims for the week represented an increase of 2,310 from the previous week.

Iowa Workforce Development said nearly 44 percent of claimants indicated their claims were not related to the COVID-19 pandemic, about the same as the previous week. The agency has noted that seasonal layoffs tend to increase unemployment claims from November through February.

The department and IowaWORKS centers are closed Nov. 25-27 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. Iowans can receive assistance by visiting the website or calling 866-239-0843.

For the week ending Nov. 21, unemployment insurance benefit payments totaled nearly $10.3 million.