In July 2024, 3.16 billion U.S. dollars were paid out in unemployment benefits in the United States. This is an increase from June 2024, when 2.62 billion U.S. dollars were paid in unemployment benefits. The large figures seen in 2020 are largely due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Welfare in the U.S. Unemployment benefits first started in 1935 during the Great Depression as a part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. The Social Security Act of 1935 ensured that Americans would not fall deeper into poverty. The United States was the only developed nation in the world at the time that did not offer any welfare benefits. This program created unemployment benefits, Medicare and Medicaid, and maternal and child welfare. The only major welfare program that the United States currently lacks is a paid maternity leave policy. Currently, the United States only offers 12 unpaid weeks of leave, under certain circumstances. However, the number of people without health insurance in the United States has greatly decreased since 2010. Unemployment benefits Current unemployment benefits in the United States vary from state to state due to unemployment being funded by both the state and the federal government. The average duration of people collecting unemployment benefits in the United States has fluctuated since January 2020, from as little as 4.55 weeks to as many as 50.32 weeks. The unemployment rate varies by ethnicity, gender, and education levels. For example, those aged 16 to 24 have faced the highest unemployment rates since 1990 during the pandemic. In February 2023, the Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV metropolitan area had the highest unemployment rate in the United States.

During the week ending May 20, 2023, unemployment insurance claims in U.S. states totaled 202,044 claims, an increase from the previous week when there were 200,738 claims. During the week, California was the most affected state, with 45,667 initial unemployment insurance claims.

Initial Jobless Claims in the United States decreased to 229 thousand in the week ending August 23 of 2025 from 234 thousand in the previous week. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - United States Initial Jobless Claims - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

description: The U.S. Department of Labor has been working collaboratively with our state partners to identify several robust strategies that focus on the prevention of overpayments and will yield the highest impact in reducing UI improper payment rates. Improper Unemployment Insurance benefit payments are most likely to occur when: Recipients continue to claim benefits after returning to work; Employers or their third party administrators do not submit timely or accurate separation information; and Claimants fail to register with the state's Employment Service (ES) as dictated by state law. Earlier this year, the Department actively intervened to encourage the ten states with the highest Employment Service registration error rates to focus on the issue. Senior DOL officials personally contacted these states to determine specific steps the states would take to address their error rates, and the Department provided targeted technical assistance. As a result, dramatic progress is being made in this area, with a 23% reduction in improper payments to people who did not register with employment services agencies, including a more than 35% drop in eight states.; abstract: The U.S. Department of Labor has been working collaboratively with our state partners to identify several robust strategies that focus on the prevention of overpayments and will yield the highest impact in reducing UI improper payment rates. Improper Unemployment Insurance benefit payments are most likely to occur when: Recipients continue to claim benefits after returning to work; Employers or their third party administrators do not submit timely or accurate separation information; and Claimants fail to register with the state's Employment Service (ES) as dictated by state law. Earlier this year, the Department actively intervened to encourage the ten states with the highest Employment Service registration error rates to focus on the issue. Senior DOL officials personally contacted these states to determine specific steps the states would take to address their error rates, and the Department provided targeted technical assistance. As a result, dramatic progress is being made in this area, with a 23% reduction in improper payments to people who did not register with employment services agencies, including a more than 35% drop in eight states.

Graph and download economic data for Initial Claims (ICNSA) from 1967-01-07 to 2025-08-23 about initial claims and USA.

United States - Government social benefits: to persons: Federal: Benefits from social insurance funds: Unemployment insurance: Railroad employees was 0.05800 Bil. of $ in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Government social benefits: to persons: Federal: Benefits from social insurance funds: Unemployment insurance: Railroad employees reached a record high of 0.39400 in January of 1982 and a record low of 0.00100 in January of 1943. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Government social benefits: to persons: Federal: Benefits from social insurance funds: Unemployment insurance: Railroad employees - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on September of 2025.

Iowa Law requires Iowa Workforce Development to establish a tax table for each year. The unemployment insurance rate table trigger formula is primarily based on the UI trust fund balance, unemployment benefit payment history and covered wage growth. The formula is designed to enable the trust fund to keep pace with potential liabilities as covered unemployment and wages grow. This dataset contains the contribution rate table and the average tax rate for employers subject to the Iowa Unemployment Insurance system. There are eight rate tables each having 21 ranks. Table one has highest average tax rate. Table eight has the lowest average tax rate. The highest average tax rate (based on taxable wages) was 3.38% in 1984 (Table 1). The lowest average tax rate was 0.94% in 1998 (Table 8). [Time Period: 1980-2018]

Graph and download economic data for Continued Claims (Insured Unemployment) (CCSA) from 1967-01-07 to 2025-08-16 about continued claims, headline figure, insurance, unemployment, and USA.

As of October 2024, there were 133.89 million full-time employees in the United States. This is a slight decrease from the previous month, when there were 134.15 million full-time employees. The impact COVID-19 on employment In December 2019, the COVID-19 virus began its spread across the globe. Since being classified as a pandemic, the virus caused a global health crisis that has taken the lives of millions of people worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic changed many facets of society, most significantly, the economy. In the first years, many businesses across all industries were forced to shut down, with large numbers of employees being laid off. The economy continued its recovery in 2022 with the nationwide unemployment rate returning to a more normal 3.4 percent as of April 2023. Unemployment benefits Because so many people in the United States lost their jobs, record numbers of individuals applied for unemployment insurance for the first time. As an early response to this nation-wide upheaval, the government issued relief checks and extended the benefits paid by unemployment insurance. In May 2020, the amount of unemployment insurance benefits paid rose to 23.73 billion U.S. dollars. As of December 2022, this value had declined to 2.24 billion U.S. dollars.

The Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program is a cooperative program involving the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the United States Department of Labor and the State Employment Security Agencies (SESAs). The QCEW program produces a comprehensive tabulation of employment and wage information for workers covered by State unemployment insurance (UI) laws and Federal workers covered by the Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) program. Publicly available data files include information on the number of establishments, monthly employment, and quarterly wages, by NAICS industry, by county, by ownership sector, for the entire United States. These data are aggregated to annual levels, to higher industry levels (NAICS industry groups, sectors, and supersectors), and to higher geographic levels (national, State, and Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)). To download and analyze QCEW data, users can begin on the QCEW Databases page. Downloadable data are available in formats such as text and CSV. Data for the QCEW program that are classified using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) are available from 1990 forward, and on a more limited basis from 1975 to 1989. These data provide employment and wage information for arts-related NAICS industries, such as: Arts, entertainment, and recreation (NAICS Code 71) Performing arts and spectator sports Museums, historical sites, zoos, and parks Amusements, gambling, and recreation Professional, scientific, and technical services (NAICS Code 54) Architectural services Graphic design services Photographic services Retail trade (NAICS Code 44-45) Sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores Book, periodical, and music stores Art dealers For years 1975-2000, data for the QCEW program provide employment and wage information for arts-related industries are based on the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system. These arts-related SIC industries include the following: Book stores (SIC 5942) Commercial photography (SIC Code 7335) Commercial art and graphic design (SIC Code 7336) Museums, Botanical, Zoological Gardens (SIC Code 84) Dance studios, schools, and halls (SIC Code 7911) Theatrical producers and services (SIC Code 7922) Sports clubs, managers, & promoters (SIC Code 7941) Motion Picture Services (SIC Code 78) The QCEW program serves as a near census of monthly employment and quarterly wage information by 6-digit NAICS industry at the national, state, and county levels. At the national level, the QCEW program provides employment and wage data for almost every NAICS industry. At the State and area level, the QCEW program provides employment and wage data down to the 6-digit NAICS industry level, if disclosure restrictions are met. Employment data under the QCEW program represent the number of covered workers who worked during, or received pay for, the pay period including the 12th of the month. Excluded are members of the armed forces, the self-employed, proprietors, domestic workers, unpaid family workers, and railroad workers covered by the railroad unemployment insurance system. Wages represent total compensation paid during the calendar quarter, regardless of when services were performed. Included in wages are pay for vacation and other paid leave, bonuses, stock options, tips, the cash value of meals and lodging, and in some States, contributions to deferred compensation plans (such as 401(k) plans). The QCEW program does provide partial information on agricultural industries and employees in private households. Data from the QCEW program serve as an important source for many BLS programs. The QCEW data are used as the benchmark source for employment by the Current Employment Statistics program and the Occupational Employment Statistics program. The UI administrative records collected under the QCEW program serve as a sampling frame for BLS establishment surveys. In addition, data from the QCEW program serve as a source to other Federal and State programs. The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) of the Department of Commerce uses QCEW data as the base for developing the wage and salary component of personal income. The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) of the Department of Labor and the SESAs use QCEW data to administer the employment security program. The QCEW data accurately reflect the ex

United States PI: sa: TP: Government Unemployment Insurance Benefits data was reported at 66.800 USD bn in Sep 2003. This records an increase from the previous number of 66.000 USD bn for Jun 2003. United States PI: sa: TP: Government Unemployment Insurance Benefits data is updated quarterly, averaging 8.300 USD bn from Mar 1946 (Median) to Sep 2003, with 231 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 67.600 USD bn in Sep 2002 and a record low of 0.700 USD bn in Mar 1948. United States PI: sa: TP: Government Unemployment Insurance Benefits data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bureau of Economic Analysis. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.A201: NIPA 1999: Personal Income and Disposition.

Continued Claims for UI released by the CT Department of Labor. Continued Claims are total number of individuals being paid benefits in any particular week. Claims data can be access directly from CT DOL here: https://www1.ctdol.state.ct.us/lmi/claimsdata.asp

Claims are disaggregated by age, education, industry, race/national origin, sex, and wages.

The claim counts in this dataset may not match claim counts from other sources.

Unemployment claims tabulated in this dataset represent only one component of the unemployed. Claims do not account for those not covered under the Unemployment system (e.g. federal workers, railroad workers or religious workers) or the unemployed self-employed.

Claims filed for a particular week will change as time goes on and the backlog is addressed.

For data on continued claims at the town level, see the dataset "Continued Claims for Unemployment Benefits by Town" here: https://data.ct.gov/Government/Continued-Claims-for-Unemployment-Benefits-by-Town/r83t-9bjm

For data on initial claims see the following two datasets:

"Initial Claims for Unemployment Benefits in Connecticut," https://data.ct.gov/Government/Initial-Claims-for-Unemployment-Benefits/j3yj-ek9y

"Initial Claims for Unemployment Benefits by Town," https://data.ct.gov/Government/Initial-Claims-for-Unemployment-Benefits-by-Town/twvc-s7wy

United States PI: TP: Govt Unemployment Insurance Benefits data was reported at 65.892 USD bn in Oct 2003. This records a decrease from the previous number of 67.116 USD bn for Sep 2003. United States PI: TP: Govt Unemployment Insurance Benefits data is updated monthly, averaging 14.982 USD bn from Jan 1959 (Median) to Oct 2003, with 538 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 70.824 USD bn in Jun 2002 and a record low of 1.728 USD bn in May 1966. United States PI: TP: Govt Unemployment Insurance Benefits data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bureau of Economic Analysis. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.A201: NIPA 1999: Personal Income and Disposition.

United States - Government social benefits: to persons: Federal: Benefits from social insurance funds: Unemployment insurance: State was 32.93100 Bil. of $ in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Government social benefits: to persons: Federal: Benefits from social insurance funds: Unemployment insurance: State reached a record high of 492.10600 in January of 2020 and a record low of 0.00200 in January of 1937. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Government social benefits: to persons: Federal: Benefits from social insurance funds: Unemployment insurance: State - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on August of 2025.

United States PI: saar: PCTR: GSB: Unemployment Insurance Benefits data was reported at 65.400 USD bn in Mar 2013. This records a decrease from the previous number of 70.700 USD bn for Dec 2012. United States PI: saar: PCTR: GSB: Unemployment Insurance Benefits data is updated quarterly, averaging 14.400 USD bn from Mar 1947 (Median) to Mar 2013, with 265 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 155.700 USD bn in Mar 2010 and a record low of 0.800 USD bn in Jun 1951. United States PI: saar: PCTR: GSB: Unemployment Insurance Benefits data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bureau of Economic Analysis. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.A141: NIPA 2009: Personal Income and Disposition: Seasonally Adjusted at Annual Rates: Quarterly.

Abstract: We provide causal evidence of an ex ante moral hazard effect of Unemployment Insurance (UI) by matching plausibly exogenous changes in UI benefit duration across state-weeks during the Great Recession to high-frequency productivity measures from individual supermarket cashiers. Estimating models with day and cashier-register fixed effects, we identify a modest but statistically significant negative relationship between UI benefits and worker productivity. This effect is strongest for more experienced and less productive cashiers, for whom UI expansions are especially relevant. Additional analyses from the American Time Use Survey reveal a similar increase in shirking during periods with increased UI benefit durations.

United States - Personal current transfer receipts: Government social benefits to persons: Unemployment insurance was 35.40500 Bil. of $ in January of 2024, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Personal current transfer receipts: Government social benefits to persons: Unemployment insurance reached a record high of 528.59000 in January of 2020 and a record low of 0.00200 in January of 1937. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Personal current transfer receipts: Government social benefits to persons: Unemployment insurance - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on July of 2025.

The U.S. Department of Labor has been working collaboratively with our state partners to identify several robust strategies that focus on the prevention of overpayments and will yield the highest impact in reducing UI improper payment rates. Improper Une

Graph and download economic data for 4-Week Moving Average of Initial Claims (IC4WSA) from 1967-01-28 to 2025-08-23 about moving average, initial claims, 1-month, average, and USA.

The Unemployment Insurance Financial Data Handbook is intended primarily for the use of State Workforce Agencies and others in projecting unemployment insurance benefits costs and in the analysis of various aspects of benefit financing. Most of these data were compiled from monthly and quarterly statistical and accounting reports submitted by the State Workforce Agencies to the Employment and Training Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor. Revised data and corrections have been incorporated into these tables to the extent possible. Data contained in this Handbook may not be identical with state records. Significant corrections and/or additions, as well as any comments, should be emailed along with any questions and suggestions to the USDOL National Office. In comparing data for different states or years, analysts should consider differences in coverage provisions, benefits formulas, tax bases, economic conditions, etc. They should use the expertise of the State agency and the national office personnel in determining significant changes in data among States of years and understand the General Notes and the Glossary prior to using the Handbook data.