Unemployment insurance for striking workers cost estimates under different recipiency rate scenarios
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | i | j | k | l | m | n | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At current recipiency rate | Assuming +20ppt recipiency rate | Assuming 100% recipiency | ||||||||||||
| State | Waiting period | Qualifying strikes | eligible strikers | State UI recipiency rate, 2023 | Strikers who apply for benefits | UI avg weekly benefit amount | Avg duration of qualifying strikes (weeks) | State UI expenditures, 2021–2024 | Estimated benefits paid to strikers, 2021–2024 | Striker benefits as % of UI expenditures | Estimated benefits paid to strikers, 2021–2024 | Striker benefits as % of UI expenditures | Estimated benefits paid to strikers, 2021–2024 | Striker benefits as % of UI expenditures |
| California | 14 days | 31 | 238,663 | 42.6% | 101,688 | $332.89 | 7.3 | $25,674,516,414 | $245,692,579 | 0.96% | $361,020,332 | 1.41% | $576,643,537 | 2.25% |
| Connecticut | 14 days | 2 | 1,750 | 37.3% | 653 | $397.18 | 3.5 | $2,344,478,976 | $907,751 | 0.04% | $1,394,905 | 0.06% | $2,432,716 | 0.10% |
| Delaware | 14 days | 0 | 0 | 20.2% | 0 | $312.30 | 0.0 | $261,137,971 | $0 | 0.00% | $0 | 0.00% | $0 | 0.00% |
| Hawaii | 7 days | 6 | 3,282 | 38.2% | 1,252 | $521.45 | 7.1 | $819,051,764 | $4,616,610 | 0.56% | $7,038,235 | 0.86% | $12,102,009 | 1.48% |
| Illinois | 14 days | 22 | 10,368 | 31.2% | 3,237 | $430.12 | 5.2 | $8,661,100,873 | $7,223,675 | 0.08% | $11,851,005 | 0.14% | $23,137,184 | 0.27% |
| Maryland | 14 days | 4 | 539 | 29.6% | 160 | $347.28 | 12.6 | $1,576,198,443 | $700,518 | 0.04% | $1,170,466 | 0.07% | $2,359,870 | 0.15% |
| Massachusetts | 30 days | 6 | 5,665 | 60.7% | 3,439 | $597.75 | 16.9 | $7,615,414,867 | $34,799,391 | 0.46% | $46,262,980 | 0.61% | $57,324,383 | 0.75% |
| Minnesota | 7 days | 10 | 7,881 | 49.5% | 3,900 | $491.23 | 3.6 | $4,455,748,870 | $6,951,615 | 0.16% | $9,760,961 | 0.22% | $14,047,611 | 0.32% |
| New Jersey | 7 days | 5 | 2,645 | 49.3% | 1,303 | $518.09 | 7.5 | $9,104,297,783 | $5,053,371 | 0.06% | $7,104,071 | 0.08% | $10,257,994 | 0.11% |
| New York | 7 days | 26 | 65,177 | 40.0% | 26,065 | $360.82 | 5.9 | $12,336,393,670 | $55,447,375 | 0.45% | $83,176,244 | 0.67% | $138,649,282 | 1.12% |
| Ohio | 7 days | 12 | 7,569 | 21.1% | 1,598 | $422.90 | 5.8 | $3,287,773,793 | $3,917,993 | 0.12% | $7,630,360 | 0.23% | $18,557,751 | 0.56% |
| Oregon | 7 days | 17 | 6,843 | 38.7% | 2,646 | $476.45 | 5.0 | $2,601,122,300 | $6,261,019 | 0.24% | $9,500,295 | 0.37% | $16,192,046 | 0.62% |
| Pennsylvania | 30 days | 5 | 3,988 | 35.3% | 1,409 | $406.19 | 8.0 | $7,270,708,323 | $4,594,920 | 0.06% | $7,195,368 | 0.10% | $13,005,351 | 0.18% |
| Rhode Island | 7 days | 2 | 132 | 53.5% | 71 | $413.20 | 16.1 | $739,155,170 | $471,493 | 0.06% | $644,586 | 0.09% | $876,578 | 0.12% |
| Washington | 7 days | 11 | 11,969 | 32.1% | 3,846 | $574.08 | 7.4 | $5,504,827,505 | $16,315,642 | 0.30% | $26,469,963 | 0.48% | $50,775,329 | 0.92% |
| = c × d | = e * f * g | = h ÷ i | = c × (d + 20%) × f × g | = k ÷ i | = c x f x g | = m ÷ i | ||||||||
Notes: Labor Action Tracker data cover strikes that occurred between January 2021 and November 2024. Unemployment Insurance recipiency rates are based on data from 2023. State UI expenditure data span January 2021 through November 2024. State average weekly benefit amounts are calculated by dividing benefits paid by weeks compensated.
Source: EPI analysis of strike data from the Cornell ILR School & the University of Illinois LER School's Labor Action Tracker, January 2021–November 2024, unemployment insurance recipiency rates and monthly program data from the U.S. Department of Labor, and industry employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, March 2023.