Cumulative jobless claims by state: Numbers and shares of workers either receiving unemployment benefits or waiting for approval during the week ending August 22
| State | Currently receiving or applied for regular UI | Regular UI as a share of labor force | Currently receiving or applied for PUA | PUA as a share of the labor force | Upper bound* receiving or applied for PUA | Upper bound as a share of the labor force |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 54,882 | 2.4% | 39,259 | 1.7% | 173,266 | 7.7% |
| Alaska | 35,748 | 10.3% | 11,322 | 3.3% | 52,195 | 15.1% |
| Arizona | 213,690 | 5.9% | 338,301 | 9.4% | 570,873 | 15.8% |
| Arkansas | 49,757 | 3.6% | 148,397 | 10.9% | 222,392 | 16.3% |
| California | 3,078,928 | 15.8% | 3,507,727 | 18.0% | 7,079,142 | 36.3% |
| Colorado | 189,048 | 5.9% | 107,264 | 3.4% | 311,213 | 9.8% |
| Connecticut | 237,359 | 12.3% | 60,970 | 3.2% | 329,007 | 17.0% |
| Delaware | 38,093 | 7.8% | 8,473 | 1.7% | 49,168 | 10.0% |
| Washington D.C. | 68,127 | 16.4% | 14,234 | 3.4% | 85,429 | 20.6% |
| Florida | 477,369 | 4.6% | 18,630 | 0.2% | 551,751 | 5.3% |
| Georgia | 601,730 | 11.7% | 268,929 | 5.2% | 871,854 | 16.9% |
| Hawaii | 122,179 | 18.3% | 101,064 | 15.1% | 223,710 | 33.4% |
| Idaho | 18,756 | 2.1% | 15,485 | 1.7% | 40,606 | 4.6% |
| Illinois | 618,485 | 9.7% | 127,412 | 2.0% | 815,015 | 12.7% |
| Indiana | 180,114 | 5.3% | 148,226 | 4.4% | 337,517 | 9.9% |
| Iowa | 91,202 | 5.2% | 15,585 | 0.9% | 125,466 | 7.2% |
| Kansas | 87,655 | 5.9% | 250,699 | 16.8% | 350,136 | 23.4% |
| Kentucky | 143,607 | 6.9% | 34,823 | 1.7% | 178,915 | 8.6% |
| Louisiana | 253,758 | 12.0% | 143,168 | 6.8% | 400,920 | 19.0% |
| Maine | 41,871 | 6.0% | 27,683 | 4.0% | 78,442 | 11.3% |
| Maryland | 177,737 | 5.4% | 236,683 | 7.2% | 431,634 | 13.2% |
| Massachusetts | 430,868 | 11.2% | 514,424 | 13.4% | 996,699 | 26.0% |
| Michigan | 473,025 | 9.6% | 716,817 | 14.5% | 1,258,491 | 25.4% |
| Minnesota | 250,922 | 8.0% | 48,643 | 1.6% | 337,642 | 10.8% |
| Mississippi | 106,851 | 8.4% | 41,045 | 3.2% | 156,585 | 12.3% |
| Missouri | 124,604 | 4.0% | 62,020 | 2.0% | 216,590 | 7.0% |
| Montana | 27,500 | 5.1% | 36,650 | 6.8% | 68,049 | 12.7% |
| Nebraska | 31,411 | 3.0% | 26,825 | 2.6% | 63,130 | 6.1% |
| Nevada | 231,500 | 14.8% | 132,844 | 8.5% | 385,890 | 24.7% |
| New Hampshire | 49,304 | 6.3% | 20,462 | 2.6% | 73,333 | 9.4% |
| New Jersey | 429,709 | 9.4% | 438,134 | 9.6% | 939,025 | 20.6% |
| New Mexico | 94,709 | 9.8% | 40,373 | 4.2% | 141,258 | 14.7% |
| New York | 1,505,573 | 15.8% | 1,369,008 | 14.3% | 2,998,969 | 31.4% |
| North Carolina | 198,026 | 3.9% | 186,792 | 3.7% | 600,798 | 11.7% |
| North Dakota | 20,055 | 5.0% | 7,774 | 1.9% | 32,451 | 8.0% |
| Ohio | 337,777 | 5.8% | 428,700 | 7.4% | 805,480 | 13.8% |
| Oklahoma | 117,270 | 6.4% | 2,057 | 0.1% | 119,608 | 6.5% |
| Oregon | 182,821 | 8.7% | 92,630 | 4.4% | 342,492 | 16.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 660,237 | 10.1% | 987,351 | 15.1% | 1,708,323 | 26.0% |
| Rhode Island | 51,863 | 9.3% | 98,428 | 17.6% | 160,566 | 28.7% |
| South Carolina | 147,301 | 6.2% | 57,664 | 2.4% | 231,720 | 9.7% |
| South Dakota | 9,803 | 2.1% | 3,989 | 0.9% | 14,343 | 3.1% |
| Tennessee | 210,715 | 6.3% | 145,318 | 4.3% | 369,561 | 11.0% |
| Texas | 1,165,219 | 8.2% | 285,764 | 2.0% | 1,497,486 | 10.5% |
| Utah | 49,774 | 3.1% | 10,566 | 0.6% | 68,446 | 4.2% |
| Vermont | 30,090 | 8.8% | 10,946 | 3.2% | 42,591 | 12.5% |
| Virginia | 262,605 | 5.9% | 223,536 | 5.0% | 529,686 | 11.9% |
| Washington | 361,701 | 9.1% | 135,019 | 3.4% | 560,926 | 14.2% |
| West Virginia | 58,501 | 7.3% | 0 | 0.0% | 63,408 | 7.9% |
| Wisconsin | 176,681 | 5.7% | 63,075 | 2.0% | 267,704 | 8.6% |
| Wyoming | 11,402 | 3.9% | 2,522 | 0.9% | 15,587 | 5.3% |
Notes: *This is an upper bound on the number of people “on” UI, for two reasons: (1) regular state UI and PUA claims should be nonoverlapping—that is how DOL has directed agencies to report them—but some individuals may be being counted twice; (2) some states are likely including some back weeks in their continuing PUA claims, which would also lead to double-counting. Non-seasonally-adjusted data are used throughout. Regular state UI continued claims are for the week ending August 15; regular state UI initial claims are for the week ending August 22. PUA continued claims are for the week ending August 8; PUA initial claims are for the weeks ending August 15 and August 22. “Other programs” are continued claims in other programs for the week ending August 8. Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) is the federal program for workers who are out of work because of the virus but who are not eligible for regular state unemployment insurance (UI) benefits (e.g., the self-employed). “Other programs” includes PEUC, STC, and others; a full list can be found in the bottom panel of the table on page 4 at this link: https://www.dol.gov/ui/data.pdf.
*This is an upper bound on the number of people “on” UI, for two reasons: (1) regular state UI and PUA claims should be nonoverlapping—that is how DOL has directed agencies to report them—but some individuals may be being counted twice; (2) some states are likely including some back weeks in their continuing PUA claims, which would also lead to double-counting. Non-seasonally-adjusted data are used throughout. Regular state UI continued claims are for the week ending August 15; regular state UI initial claims are for the week ending August 22. PUA continued claims are for the week ending August 8; PUA initial claims are for the weeks ending August 15 and August 22. “Other programs” are continued claims in other programs for the week ending August 8. Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) is the federal program for workers who are out of work because of the virus but who are not eligible for regular state unemployment insurance (UI) benefits (e.g., the self-employed). “Other programs” includes PEUC, STC, and others; a full list can be found in the bottom panel of the table on page 4 at this link: https://www.dol.gov/ui/data.pdf.
Source: U.S. Employment and Training Administration, Initial Claims [ICSA], retrieved from Department of Labor (DOL), https://www.dol.gov/ui/data.pdf and https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/claims.asp, August 27, 2020.