Extending UI to striking workers would mean small costs for states but large gains for workers: Average monthly UI expenditures and estimated UI claims by striking workers, January 2022–December 2023
| Estimated monthly workers eligible for UI: | 73 |
|---|---|
| State average weekly UI benefit: | $436.50 |
| % of eligible workers who claim UI: | 37.3% |
| Average duration of strikes over 14 days: | 4 weeks |
| Total estimated UI benefits for striking workers: | |
| At current recipiency rate (37.3%) | $47,542 |
| Assuming higher union recipiency rate (+20ppt) | $73,033 |
| Assuming strikes last 4 weeks longer than normal and 100% recipiency rate | $254,916 |
| Average monthly UI benefits paid in Connecticut: | $41,224,881 |
| Striking worker UI benefits as a % of all statewide UI benefits: | 0.1% to 0.6% |
Source: Author's analysis of state unemployment insurance weekly claims data from U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, and strike participant data from the Labor Action Tracker, a project of Cornell University’s ILR School and the University of Illinois’s LER School, January 2022–December 2023.