Figure 8: Even with higher rates of claim denial, people of color experienced higher rates of unemployment claims, more prolonged recovery than white Mainers

UI claims as a share of pre-pandemic employment

Note that data from the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse survey suggests Mainers of Color were especially likely to be denied unemployment benefits, raising the possibility that the disparity is undercounted in claims data.
Source: MECEP analysis of Maine Department of Labor, Characteristics of Unemployment Insurance Claimants. Pre-pandemic employment from US Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2019 1-year data, tables B08105A thru -I Get the data