Unemployment insurance benefits reaching a smaller share of unemployed workers: U.S. unemployment insurance (UI) recipiency rate, 1977–2014

Date U.S. recipiency rate (12-month moving average) Lowest point before Great Recession
1977-01-01 34.4 25
1977-02-01 34.4
1977-03-01 34.2
1977-04-01 33.9
1977-05-01 33.8
1977-06-01 33.6
1977-07-01 33.3
1977-08-01 33.3
1977-09-01 33.1
1977-10-01 33.0
1977-11-01 32.9
1977-12-01 32.7
1978-01-01 32.6
1978-02-01 32.7
1978-03-01 32.7
1978-04-01 32.7
1978-05-01 32.6
1978-06-01 32.6
1978-07-01 32.5
1978-08-01 32.7
1978-09-01 32.6
1978-10-01 32.8
1978-11-01 32.8
1978-12-01 32.5
1979-01-01 32.8
1979-02-01 32.6
1979-03-01 32.5
1979-04-01 32.6
1979-05-01 32.9
1979-06-01 32.9
1979-07-01 33.3
1979-08-01 33.3
1979-09-01 33.5
1979-10-01 33.7
1979-11-01 34.1
1979-12-01 34.5
1980-01-01 35.0
1980-02-01 35.5
1980-03-01 35.6
1980-04-01 36.1
1980-05-01 36.3
1980-06-01 36.8
1980-07-01 37.6
1980-08-01 37.8
1980-09-01 38.3
1980-10-01 38.6
1980-11-01 38.2
1980-12-01 38.5
1981-01-01 37.9
1981-02-01 37.4
1981-03-01 37.1
1981-04-01 36.7
1981-05-01 36.0
1981-06-01 35.4
1981-07-01 34.7
1981-08-01 34.0
1981-09-01 33.4
1981-10-01 32.6
1981-11-01 32.4
1981-12-01 32.3
1982-01-01 32.1
1982-02-01 32.1
1982-03-01 32.4
1982-04-01 32.5
1982-05-01 32.7
1982-06-01 33.0
1982-07-01 32.9
1982-08-01 33.2
1982-09-01 33.3
1982-10-01 33.4
1982-11-01 33.6
1982-12-01 33.5
1983-01-01 33.3
1983-02-01 33.1
1983-03-01 33.0
1983-04-01 32.6
1983-05-01 32.3
1983-06-01 31.8
1983-07-01 31.3
1983-08-01 30.8
1983-09-01 30.1
1983-10-01 29.5
1983-11-01 29.0
1983-12-01 28.3
1984-01-01 27.7
1984-02-01 27.4
1984-03-01 26.5
1984-04-01 26.0
1984-05-01 25.8
1984-06-01 25.4
1984-07-01 25.3
1984-08-01 25.1
1984-09-01 25.0
1984-10-01 25.3
1984-11-01 25.4
1984-12-01 25.4
1985-01-01 25.7
1985-02-01 25.8
1985-03-01 26.0
1985-04-01 26.4
1985-05-01 26.3
1985-06-01 26.3
1985-07-01 26.7
1985-08-01 26.8
1985-09-01 27.0
1985-10-01 27.1
1985-11-01 27.1
1985-12-01 27.5
1986-01-01 27.6
1986-02-01 27.5
1986-03-01 27.5
1986-04-01 27.6
1986-05-01 27.7
1986-06-01 27.9
1986-07-01 28.1
1986-08-01 28.1
1986-09-01 28.3
1986-10-01 28.4
1986-11-01 28.3
1986-12-01 28.5
1987-01-01 28.1
1987-02-01 28.2
1987-03-01 28.4
1987-04-01 28.3
1987-05-01 28.2
1987-06-01 28.4
1987-07-01 28.3
1987-08-01 28.2
1987-09-01 28.1
1987-10-01 27.8
1987-11-01 27.8
1987-12-01 27.5
1988-01-01 27.4
1988-02-01 27.4
1988-03-01 27.5
1988-04-01 27.3
1988-05-01 27.3
1988-06-01 27.4
1988-07-01 27.1
1988-08-01 27.3
1988-09-01 27.3
1988-10-01 27.3
1988-11-01 27.6
1988-12-01 27.4
1989-01-01 27.5
1989-02-01 27.5
1989-03-01 27.6
1989-04-01 27.6
1989-05-01 27.9
1989-06-01 27.8
1989-07-01 28.0
1989-08-01 28.2
1989-09-01 28.3
1989-10-01 28.7
1989-11-01 28.9
1989-12-01 29.0
1990-01-01 29.6
1990-02-01 29.9
1990-03-01 30.0
1990-04-01 30.3
1990-05-01 30.6
1990-06-01 30.8
1990-07-01 31.2
1990-08-01 31.2
1990-09-01 31.2
1990-10-01 31.5
1990-11-01 31.7
1990-12-01 31.9
1991-01-01 32.4
1991-02-01 32.8
1991-03-01 33.1
1991-04-01 33.9
1991-05-01 34.2
1991-06-01 34.2
1991-07-01 34.6
1991-08-01 34.7
1991-09-01 34.9
1991-10-01 34.9
1991-11-01 34.7
1991-12-01 34.9
1992-01-01 34.6
1992-02-01 34.2
1992-03-01 34.1
1992-04-01 33.7
1992-05-01 33.0
1992-06-01 32.7
1992-07-01 32.2
1992-08-01 31.8
1992-09-01 31.6
1992-10-01 31.2
1992-11-01 30.9
1992-12-01 30.6
1993-01-01 29.7
1993-02-01 29.2
1993-03-01 28.9
1993-04-01 28.3
1993-05-01 28.0
1993-06-01 27.9
1993-07-01 27.6
1993-08-01 27.5
1993-09-01 27.4
1993-10-01 27.2
1993-11-01 27.4
1993-12-01 27.4
1994-01-01 27.6
1994-02-01 27.9
1994-03-01 28.1
1994-04-01 28.2
1994-05-01 28.6
1994-06-01 28.9
1994-07-01 29.0
1994-08-01 29.3
1994-09-01 29.4
1994-10-01 29.7
1994-11-01 29.9
1994-12-01 29.9
1995-01-01 30.2
1995-02-01 30.4
1995-03-01 30.5
1995-04-01 30.4
1995-05-01 30.5
1995-06-01 30.4
1995-07-01 30.5
1995-08-01 30.6
1995-09-01 30.6
1995-10-01 30.8
1995-11-01 30.8
1995-12-01 30.8
1996-01-01 31.1
1996-02-01 31.4
1996-03-01 31.2
1996-04-01 31.7
1996-05-01 31.6
1996-06-01 31.5 25
1996-07-01 31.7
1996-08-01 31.6
1996-09-01 31.7
1996-10-01 31.7
1996-11-01 31.4
1996-12-01 31.6
1997-01-01 31.3
1997-02-01 30.9
1997-03-01 30.8
1997-04-01 30.6
1997-05-01 30.4
1997-06-01 30.4
1997-07-01 30.3
1997-08-01 30.1
1997-09-01 30.1
1997-10-01 30.0
1997-11-01 30.1
1997-12-01 30.2
1998-01-01 29.9
1998-02-01 30.0
1998-03-01 30.1
1998-04-01 30.2
1998-05-01 30.2
1998-06-01 30.3
1998-07-01 30.5
1998-08-01 30.7
1998-09-01 30.8
1998-10-01 30.7
1998-11-01 30.9
1998-12-01 30.9
1999-01-01 31.1
1999-02-01 31.2
1999-03-01 31.7
1999-04-01 31.6
1999-05-01 31.8
1999-06-01 32.1
1999-07-01 31.9
1999-08-01 32.1
1999-09-01 32.2
1999-10-01 32.4
1999-11-01 32.6
1999-12-01 32.5
2000-01-01 32.5
2000-02-01 32.7
2000-03-01 32.2
2000-04-01 32.1
2000-05-01 32.1
2000-06-01 31.8
2000-07-01 31.9
2000-08-01 31.8
2000-09-01 31.8
2000-10-01 32.2
2000-11-01 32.3
2000-12-01 32.4
2001-01-01 33.1
2001-02-01 33.3
2001-03-01 33.5
2001-04-01 34.1
2001-05-01 34.8
2001-06-01 35.3
2001-07-01 36.3
2001-08-01 36.8
2001-09-01 37.1
2001-10-01 37.7
2001-11-01 37.9
2001-12-01 38.4
2002-01-01 38.8
2002-02-01 39.0
2002-03-01 39.2
2002-04-01 39.5
2002-05-01 39.4
2002-06-01 39.2
2002-07-01 39.0
2002-08-01 38.7
2002-09-01 38.7
2002-10-01 38.5
2002-11-01 38.1
2002-12-01 38.0
2003-01-01 37.5
2003-02-01 37.2
2003-03-01 37.3
2003-04-01 37.1
2003-05-01 36.8
2003-06-01 36.7
2003-07-01 36.5
2003-08-01 36.4
2003-09-01 36.3
2003-10-01 36.1
2003-11-01 36.0
2003-12-01 36.0
2004-01-01 35.7
2004-02-01 35.6
2004-03-01 35.4
2004-04-01 34.9
2004-05-01 34.6
2004-06-01 34.5
2004-07-01 33.9
2004-08-01 33.8
2004-09-01 33.4
2004-10-01 32.9
2004-11-01 32.9
2004-12-01 32.2
2005-01-01 32.1
2005-02-01 31.6
2005-03-01 31.3
2005-04-01 31.0
2005-05-01 31.0
2005-06-01 30.8
2005-07-01 30.8
2005-08-01 30.8
2005-09-01 30.6
2005-10-01 30.9
2005-11-01 30.9
2005-12-01 30.8
2006-01-01 31.1
2006-02-01 31.1
2006-03-01 31.0
2006-04-01 31.0
2006-05-01 31.1
2006-06-01 31.0
2006-07-01 31.0
2006-08-01 30.9
2006-09-01 31.0
2006-10-01 31.0
2006-11-01 31.0
2006-12-01 31.1
2007-01-01 31.1
2007-02-01 31.3
2007-03-01 31.3
2007-04-01 31.7
2007-05-01 31.8
2007-06-01 31.8
2007-07-01 32.0
2007-08-01 32.0
2007-09-01 32.0
2007-10-01 32.0
2007-11-01 31.9
2007-12-01 31.9
2008-01-01 31.8
2008-02-01 31.9
2008-03-01 32.1
2008-04-01 32.3
2008-05-01 32.0
2008-06-01 32.1
2008-07-01 32.0
2008-08-01 31.6
2008-09-01 31.9
2008-10-01 31.7
2008-11-01 31.6
2008-12-01 32.3
2009-01-01 32.5
2009-02-01 32.8
2009-03-01 33.9
2009-04-01 34.5
2009-05-01 35.2
2009-06-01 36.0
2009-07-01 36.3
2009-08-01 36.8
2009-09-01 36.8
2009-10-01 36.5
2009-11-01 36.5
2009-12-01 36.0
2010-01-01 35.3
2010-02-01 34.6
2010-03-01 33.7
2010-04-01 32.6
2010-05-01 31.7
2010-06-01 30.7
2010-07-01 29.6
2010-08-01 28.9
2010-09-01 28.1
2010-10-01 27.6
2010-11-01 27.1
2010-12-01 26.4
2011-01-01 26.1
2011-02-01 25.8
2011-03-01 25.3
2011-04-01 24.9
2011-05-01 24.8
2011-06-01 24.3
2011-07-01 24.1
2011-08-01 23.8
2011-09-01 23.6
2011-10-01 23.5
2011-11-01 23.4
2011-12-01 23.3
2012-01-01 23.3
2012-02-01 23.3
2012-03-01 23.0
2012-04-01 23.1
2012-05-01 23.0
2012-06-01 22.9
2012-07-01 23.0
2012-08-01 22.8
2012-09-01 22.9
2012-10-01 23.0
2012-11-01 22.9
2012-12-01 22.9
2013-01-01 22.7
2013-02-01 22.5
2013-03-01 22.5
2013-04-01 22.5
2013-05-01 22.4
2013-06-01 22.4
2013-07-01 22.4
2013-08-01 22.4
2013-09-01 22.4
2013-10-01 22.3
2013-11-01 22.1
2013-12-01 22.3
2014-01-01 22.4
2014-02-01 22.5
2014-03-01 22.6
2014-04-01 22.7
2014-05-01 22.7
2014-06-01 23.0
2014-07-01 22.9
2014-08-01 22.9
2014-09-01 23.1
2014-10-01 23.1
2014-11-01 23.1
2014-12-01 23.1  25

Note: The UI recipiency rate is the share of unemployed workers receiving benefits from regular state programs, and is calculated by dividing the number of weeks compensated by the total number of unemployed persons. It is presented as a 12-month moving average. Shaded bars denote recessions.

Source: EPI analysis of Department of Labor (DOL) administrative data and Current Population Survey basic monthly data

View the underlying data on epi.org.