In every state, striking workers would account for only a small percentage of monthly unemployment claims: Monthly average number of striking workers compared with typical initial and continuing UI claims by state, January 2022–November 2023
| State | UI eligibility waiting period | Estimated monthly average striking workers eligible for UI | Monthly average initial UI claims | Monthly average continued UI claims | Estimated striking workers as a share of monthly initial UI claims | Estimated striking workers as a share of monthly ongoing UI claims |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 14 days | 2,303 | 43,752 | 361,373 | 5.3% | 0.6% |
| Connecticut | 14 days | 76 | 3,763 | 24,238 | 2.0% | 0.3% |
| Illinois | 14 days | 54 | 9,393 | 87,067 | 0.6% | 0.1% |
| Massachusetts | 30 days | 2 | 4,450 | 61,395 | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| New Jersey | 14 days | 24 | 8,588 | 87,486 | 0.3% | 0.0% |
| New York | 7 days | 124 | 16,199 | 152,876 | 0.8% | 0.1% |
| Ohio | 14 days | 74 | 11,279 | 42,672 | 0.7% | 0.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 30 days | 78 | 10,165 | 82,847 | 0.8% | 0.1% |
| Washington | 7 days | 540 | 5,101 | 46,379 | 10.6% | 1.2% |
Note: Strike data refer to individuals who participated in strikes in the 23 months between January 2022 and November 2023. Ongoing strikes and strikes that concluded after November 27th, 2023 are not included in this sample. Multi-state strikes are not included which results in some undercount. See Appendix Table B for all omitted multi-state strikes.
Note: Strike data refer to individuals who participated in strikes in the 23 months between January 2022 and November 2023. Ongoing strikes and strikes that concluded after November 27th, 2023 are not included in this sample. Multi-state strikes are not included which results in some undercount. See Appendix Table B for all omitted multi-state strikes.
The data set does not break down the number of strike participants by state in strikes that span multiple states. This is particularly relevant in the case of the 2023 Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild strikes that took place in California and New York.
Source: Author's analysis of state unemployment insurance weekly claims data from U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, and strike participant data from the Cornell ILR School, Labor Action Tracker, January 2022–November 2023.