Unemployment insurance benefits are less generous and more restricted in states with a larger share of Black residents

State Percentage Black population UI recipient rate Average weekly benefit Black population UI recipiency rank Black population rank
Alaska 4.7% 32.0% $255.47 34,639 16 40
Alabama 27.8% 23.2% $232.06 1,364,474 30 7
Arkansas 16.7% 24.1% $270.74 502,913 26 15
Arizona 6.0% 13.2% $233.91 434,612 47 35
California 7.0% 40.2% $345.43 2,782,446 9 33
Colorado 5.4% 22.3% $453.89 313,737 32 37
Connecticut 13.2% 46.9% $394.87 470,791 3 21
Washington D.C. 47.2% 24.8% $358.73 333,312 25 1
Delaware 24.4% 28.1% $272.55 237,780 21 8
Florida 17.6% 10.7% $251.62 3,772,874 51 14
Georgia 33.5% 14.2% $304.36 3,996,697 44 3
Hawaii 3.5% 41.1% $536.81 49,041 6 42
Iowa 5.2% 40.5% $395.06 162,710 8 38
Idaho 1.2% 25.7% $340.65 21,666 24 52
Illinois 15.4% 36.8% $351.06 1,951,681 11 16
Indiana 11.0% 18.2% $300.59 740,150 39 25
Kansas 7.4% 18.8% $390.08 214,714 38 32
Kentucky 9.5% 20.3% $375.29 424,716 35 28
Louisiana 33.4% 12.3% $215.99 1,554,297 49 4
Massachusetts 9.9% 50.3% $523.40 684,786 2 26
Maryland 32.2% 23.5% $356.79 1,946,932 29 5
Maine 2.4% 28.6% $351.75 32,313 19 46
Michigan 15.3% 26.8% $328.19 1,528,779 23 17
Minnesota 8.1% 40.8% $467.63 454,116 7 30
Missouri 12.9% 21.0% $268.75 792,197 33 22
Mississippi 38.9% 11.9% $212.53 1,156,497 50 2
Montana 1.4% 34.6% $380.36 14,608 15 51
North Carolina 23.1% 9.5% $275.91 2,424,132 52 9
North Dakota 3.9% 35.6% $465.33 30,067 13 41
Nebraska 6.1% 13.8% $347.22 117,408 46 34
New Hampshire 2.2% 16.1% $337.97 30,557 42 47
New Jersey 15.1% 59.0% $458.15 1,339,574 1 18
New Mexico 3.4% 17.9% $341.65 70,254 40 43
Nevada 11.3% 29.7% $373.41 347,489 18 24
New York 17.6% 36.5% $359.46 3,424,002 12 13
Ohio 14.4% 20.5% $362.69 1,686,729 34 19
Oklahoma 9.2% 24.0% $387.14 365,883 28 29
Oregon 3.0% 34.6% $423.09 124,502 14 45
Pennsylvania 12.9% 37.4% $408.43 1,649,737 10 23
Puerto Rico 19.1% 17.1% $144.84 609,279 41 11
Rhode Island 9.6% 41.3% $362.06 101,579 5 27
South Carolina 28.0% 22.6% $273.74 1,441,530 31 6
South Dakota 3.0% 12.7% $353.41 26,679 48 44
Tennessee 18.0% 14.0% $240.13 1,228,973 45 12
Texas 13.5% 24.0% $418.84 3,908,287 27 20
Utah 1.9% 20.2% $439.76 61,766 36 50
Virginia 21.3% 16.0% $320.23 1,820,891 43 10
Vermont 2.1% 45.1% $373.68 13,042 4 49
Washington 5.6% 28.5% $504.21 429,718 20 36
Wisconsin 7.5% 30.6% $323.96 438,719 17 31
West Virginia 4.8% 27.2% $325.17 86,426 22 39
Wyoming 2.1% 19.5% $403.21 12,428 37 48

Source: Black population data from U.S. Census Bureau, 2019 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, [Table DP05]; UI 2019 year data from the U.S. Department of Labor's Unemployment Insurance Chartbook (recipiency rates table) and Monthly Program and Financial Data (U.S. DOL-ETA  2021c, 2021d).

View the underlying data on epi.org.