On March 18, 2020, Governor Steve Sisolak instructed the Nevada Department of Employment, Training & Rehabilitation (DETR) to waive the work search requirement and the seven-day wait period for approved unemployment insurance benefits.

On Tuesday, April 14, 2020, Governor Sisolak reported that more than 300,000 Nevadans have applied for unemployment insurance benefits in the past 30 days—or one in every 10 Nevadans. He asked DETR to backdate all unemployment claims to the earliest date of eligibility up to March 15, 2020. Whenever the application is filed, those claims will be paid retroactively and no more action is necessary.

As of April 12, 2020, DETR began issuing the additional $600 Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) to everyone currently on unemployment benefits and those payments will also be backdated.

DETR announced that it currently is working on the UI system for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) for self-employed workers, independent contractors, freelancers, and other workers whose employers were not paying into the unemployment insurance system on their behalf and who currently are not covered by unemployment insurance. DETR said it hoped to launch a module for those workers by early to mid-May. DETR said it does not currently have the structures in place to support Pandemic Unemployment Assistance for 1099 workers, but is working on it.

DETR has rolled out a new, staggered filing calendar. The new system will be by last name: A-K on Sunday, L-R on Monday, and S-Z on Tuesday. Everyone will be able to file on Wednesday through Saturday.

Nevada's website for COVID-19 Unemployment Information for Claimants and Employers can be found here. There are separate tabs for UI claims and for employers. The tab for employers offers guidance for a number of required actions as well as help and resources, including UI Information for Employers, FAQs, and other helpful information. Updated announcements also appear on the Employer page.