Unemployment insurance is buffering households and the economy more than ever before: UI benefits as a percent of wage and salary income, 1954–2020
| Date | UI benefits as % of wage and salary income |
|---|---|
| Jan-1954 | 1.0% |
| Apr-1954 | 1.2% |
| Jul-1954 | 1.3% |
| Oct-1954 | 1.2% |
| Jan-1955 | 0.9% |
| Apr-1955 | 0.8% |
| Jul-1955 | 0.7% |
| Oct-1955 | 0.6% |
| Jan-1956 | 0.7% |
| Apr-1956 | 0.7% |
| Jul-1956 | 0.7% |
| Oct-1956 | 0.7% |
| Jan-1957 | 0.7% |
| Apr-1957 | 0.7% |
| Jul-1957 | 0.7% |
| Oct-1957 | 1.0% |
| Jan-1958 | 1.5% |
| Apr-1958 | 1.9% |
| Jul-1958 | 2.0% |
| Oct-1958 | 1.6% |
| Jan-1959 | 1.3% |
| Apr-1959 | 1.0% |
| Jul-1959 | 1.0% |
| Oct-1959 | 1.1% |
| Jan-1960 | 1.0% |
| Apr-1960 | 1.0% |
| Jul-1960 | 1.2% |
| Oct-1960 | 1.4% |
| Jan-1961 | 1.5% |
| Apr-1961 | 1.9% |
| Jul-1961 | 1.6% |
| Oct-1961 | 1.3% |
| Jan-1962 | 1.2% |
| Apr-1962 | 1.0% |
| Jul-1962 | 1.0% |
| Oct-1962 | 1.0% |
| Jan-1963 | 1.0% |
| Apr-1963 | 1.0% |
| Jul-1963 | 0.9% |
| Oct-1963 | 0.9% |
| Jan-1964 | 0.9% |
| Apr-1964 | 0.9% |
| Jul-1964 | 0.8% |
| Oct-1964 | 0.7% |
| Jan-1965 | 0.7% |
| Apr-1965 | 0.7% |
| Jul-1965 | 0.6% |
| Oct-1965 | 0.6% |
| Jan-1966 | 0.5% |
| Apr-1966 | 0.5% |
| Jul-1966 | 0.5% |
| Oct-1966 | 0.5% |
| Jan-1967 | 0.5% |
| Apr-1967 | 0.5% |
| Jul-1967 | 0.5% |
| Oct-1967 | 0.5% |
| Jan-1968 | 0.5% |
| Apr-1968 | 0.5% |
| Jul-1968 | 0.5% |
| Oct-1968 | 0.4% |
| Jan-1969 | 0.5% |
| Apr-1969 | 0.4% |
| Jul-1969 | 0.4% |
| Oct-1969 | 0.5% |
| Jan-1970 | 0.5% |
| Apr-1970 | 0.7% |
| Jul-1970 | 0.8% |
| Oct-1970 | 1.0% |
| Jan-1971 | 1.0% |
| Apr-1971 | 1.1% |
| Jul-1971 | 1.1% |
| Oct-1971 | 1.1% |
| Jan-1972 | 1.1% |
| Apr-1972 | 1.1% |
| Jul-1972 | 0.9% |
| Oct-1972 | 0.8% |
| Jan-1973 | 0.7% |
| Apr-1973 | 0.6% |
| Jul-1973 | 0.6% |
| Oct-1973 | 0.6% |
| Jan-1974 | 0.8% |
| Apr-1974 | 0.9% |
| Jul-1974 | 0.9% |
| Oct-1974 | 1.1% |
| Jan-1975 | 1.8% |
| Apr-1975 | 2.4% |
| Jul-1975 | 2.5% |
| Oct-1975 | 2.2% |
| Jan-1976 | 2.0% |
| Apr-1976 | 1.8% |
| Jul-1976 | 1.8% |
| Oct-1976 | 1.7% |
| Jan-1977 | 1.6% |
| Apr-1977 | 1.4% |
| Jul-1977 | 1.2% |
| Oct-1977 | 1.1% |
| Jan-1978 | 1.0% |
| Apr-1978 | 0.8% |
| Jul-1978 | 0.8% |
| Oct-1978 | 0.7% |
| Jan-1979 | 0.8% |
| Apr-1979 | 0.7% |
| Jul-1979 | 0.8% |
| Oct-1979 | 0.8% |
| Jan-1980 | 0.9% |
| Apr-1980 | 1.2% |
| Jul-1980 | 1.4% |
| Oct-1980 | 1.2% |
| Jan-1981 | 1.1% |
| Apr-1981 | 1.0% |
| Jul-1981 | 1.0% |
| Oct-1981 | 1.1% |
| Jan-1982 | 1.2% |
| Apr-1982 | 1.5% |
| Jul-1982 | 1.6% |
| Oct-1982 | 2.0% |
| Jan-1983 | 1.9% |
| Apr-1983 | 1.9% |
| Jul-1983 | 1.4% |
| Oct-1983 | 1.1% |
| Jan-1984 | 1.0% |
| Apr-1984 | 0.9% |
| Jul-1984 | 0.8% |
| Oct-1984 | 0.8% |
| Jan-1985 | 0.9% |
| Apr-1985 | 0.8% |
| Jul-1985 | 0.8% |
| Oct-1985 | 0.8% |
| Jan-1986 | 0.8% |
| Apr-1986 | 0.8% |
| Jul-1986 | 0.8% |
| Oct-1986 | 0.8% |
| Jan-1987 | 0.7% |
| Apr-1987 | 0.7% |
| Jul-1987 | 0.6% |
| Oct-1987 | 0.6% |
| Jan-1988 | 0.6% |
| Apr-1988 | 0.5% |
| Jul-1988 | 0.5% |
| Oct-1988 | 0.5% |
| Jan-1989 | 0.5% |
| Apr-1989 | 0.5% |
| Jul-1989 | 0.6% |
| Oct-1989 | 0.6% |
| Jan-1990 | 0.6% |
| Apr-1990 | 0.6% |
| Jul-1990 | 0.7% |
| Oct-1990 | 0.8% |
| Jan-1991 | 0.9% |
| Apr-1991 | 1.0% |
| Jul-1991 | 0.9% |
| Oct-1991 | 1.0% |
| Jan-1992 | 1.4% |
| Apr-1992 | 1.4% |
| Jul-1992 | 1.3% |
| Oct-1992 | 1.3% |
| Jan-1993 | 1.2% |
| Apr-1993 | 1.2% |
| Jul-1993 | 1.1% |
| Oct-1993 | 1.1% |
| Jan-1994 | 0.9% |
| Apr-1994 | 0.8% |
| Jul-1994 | 0.7% |
| Oct-1994 | 0.6% |
| Jan-1995 | 0.6% |
| Apr-1995 | 0.6% |
| Jul-1995 | 0.6% |
| Oct-1995 | 0.6% |
| Jan-1996 | 0.7% |
| Apr-1996 | 0.6% |
| Jul-1996 | 0.6% |
| Oct-1996 | 0.6% |
| Jan-1997 | 0.6% |
| Apr-1997 | 0.5% |
| Jul-1997 | 0.5% |
| Oct-1997 | 0.5% |
| Jan-1998 | 0.5% |
| Apr-1998 | 0.5% |
| Jul-1998 | 0.5% |
| Oct-1998 | 0.5% |
| Jan-1999 | 0.5% |
| Apr-1999 | 0.5% |
| Jul-1999 | 0.5% |
| Oct-1999 | 0.4% |
| Jan-2000 | 0.4% |
| Apr-2000 | 0.4% |
| Jul-2000 | 0.4% |
| Oct-2000 | 0.4% |
| Jan-2001 | 0.5% |
| Apr-2001 | 0.6% |
| Jul-2001 | 0.7% |
| Oct-2001 | 0.8% |
| Jan-2002 | 0.9% |
| Apr-2002 | 1.2% |
| Jul-2002 | 1.1% |
| Oct-2002 | 1.1% |
| Jan-2003 | 1.0% |
| Apr-2003 | 1.1% |
| Jul-2003 | 1.0% |
| Oct-2003 | 1.0% |
| Jan-2004 | 0.8% |
| Apr-2004 | 0.7% |
| Jul-2004 | 0.6% |
| Oct-2004 | 0.6% |
| Jan-2005 | 0.6% |
| Apr-2005 | 0.5% |
| Jul-2005 | 0.6% |
| Oct-2005 | 0.6% |
| Jan-2006 | 0.5% |
| Apr-2006 | 0.5% |
| Jul-2006 | 0.5% |
| Oct-2006 | 0.5% |
| Jan-2007 | 0.5% |
| Apr-2007 | 0.5% |
| Jul-2007 | 0.5% |
| Oct-2007 | 0.5% |
| Jan-2008 | 0.6% |
| Apr-2008 | 0.6% |
| Jul-2008 | 0.9% |
| Oct-2008 | 1.1% |
| Jan-2009 | 1.6% |
| Apr-2009 | 2.1% |
| Jul-2009 | 2.3% |
| Oct-2009 | 2.4% |
| Jan-2010 | 2.6% |
| Apr-2010 | 2.2% |
| Jul-2010 | 2.0% |
| Oct-2010 | 1.9% |
| Jan-2011 | 1.8% |
| Apr-2011 | 1.7% |
| Jul-2011 | 1.5% |
| Oct-2011 | 1.5% |
| Jan-2012 | 1.4% |
| Apr-2012 | 1.3% |
| Jul-2012 | 1.1% |
| Oct-2012 | 1.1% |
| Jan-2013 | 1.0% |
| Apr-2013 | 0.9% |
| Jul-2013 | 0.8% |
| Oct-2013 | 0.8% |
| Jan-2014 | 0.5% |
| Apr-2014 | 0.5% |
| Jul-2014 | 0.5% |
| Oct-2014 | 0.4% |
| Jan-2015 | 0.4% |
| Apr-2015 | 0.4% |
| Jul-2015 | 0.4% |
| Oct-2015 | 0.4% |
| Jan-2016 | 0.4% |
| Apr-2016 | 0.4% |
| Jul-2016 | 0.4% |
| Oct-2016 | 0.4% |
| Jan-2017 | 0.4% |
| Apr-2017 | 0.4% |
| Jul-2017 | 0.3% |
| Oct-2017 | 0.3% |
| Jan-2018 | 0.3% |
| Apr-2018 | 0.3% |
| Jul-2018 | 0.3% |
| Oct-2018 | 0.3% |
| Jan-2019 | 0.3% |
| Apr-2019 | 0.3% |
| Jul-2019 | 0.3% |
| Oct-2019 | 0.3% |
| Jan-2020 | 0.3% |
| Feb-2020 | 0.3% |
| Mar-2020 | 0.8% |
| Apr-2020 | 5.3% |
| May-2020 | 14.6% |
Note: Data is quarterly for all years before 2020 and monthly for 2020 year-to-date.
Source: Author’s analysis of the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), National Income and Product Accounts (NIPA) data.