Continued UI claims track with the unemployment rate and spike during recessions

Continued UI claims and unemployment rate indexed to January 2020, 1987–present

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Note: Data are not seasonally adjusted. Monthly continued claims are constructed by averaging weekly values. Last updated September 23, 2026.

Chart: Economic Policy InstituteSource: Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S. Employment and Training Administration Report 539 data from Department of Labor.Get the data