Table 3
The cost of extending UI benefits to strikers amounts to less than 1% of statewide UI expenditures: Estimated cost of UI benefits paid to strikers compared with state UI expenditures, 2022–2023
| Proposed eligibility waiting period | 7 days |
|---|---|
| Eligible strikers based on waiting period, 2022–2023 | 5,890 |
| State UI recipiency rate (2023) | 38.7% |
| Estimated strikers who will apply for benefits (5,890 x 38.7%) | 2,278 |
| Average weekly UI benefit | $507 |
| Estimated weeks of UI collected per person | 6.6 |
| UI benefits payable to strikers, 2022–2023 | $7,589,170 |
| Total state UI expenditures, 2022–2023 | $1,146,860,839 |
| UI paid to strikers as % of Oregon UI expenditures | 0.7% |
Note: The estimated number of "eligible" striking workers refers to all workers who participated in labor actions that lasted 7 days or more. Estimated weeks of UI collected per person is based on the average duration of strikes that last 7 days or greater; Relatedly, Table 1 shows that 70% of all Oregon strikes conclude in 7 days or less.
Source: EPI analysis of strike data from the Cornell ILR School, Labor Action Tracker and UI state program data, recipiency rates, and expenditures from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, January 2022–December 2023.
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