During the week ending December 31, 2022, about 204,000 initial unemployment claims were made. This is a decrease from the week prior, when initial unemployment claims stood at 223,000. The number of unemployment claims tends to fluctuate rapidly in response to national or global events such as shortages, pandemics, and wars.
Initial unemployment claims reached a record high during the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching nearly seven million unique initial claims by the end of March, 2020. The restaurant and retail industries in the United States were particularly impacted.
Number of initial unemployment insurance claims made per week in the United States from the beginning of the pandemic to December 2022
(in 1,000s)
Week ending
Number of initial unemployment insurance claims in thousands
December 31, 2022
204
December 24, 2022
223
December 17, 2022
216
December 10, 2022
212
December 3, 2022
231
November 26, 2022
226
November 19, 2022
241
November 12, 2022
223
November 5, 2022
226
October 29, 2022
218
October 22, 2022
218
October 15, 2022
214
October 8, 2022
226
October 1, 2022
219
September 24, 2022
190
September 17, 2022
209
September 10, 2022
208
September 3, 2022
218
August 27, 2022
228
August 20, 2022
237
August 13, 2022
245
August 6, 2022
252
July 30, 2022
248
July 23, 2022
237
July 16, 2022
261
July 9, 2022
244
July 2, 2022
236
June 25, 2022
231
June 18, 2022
233
June 11, 2022
231
June 4, 2022
232
May 28, 2022
202
May 21, 2022
211
May 14, 2022
218
May 7, 2022
197
April 30, 2022
202
April 23, 2022
181
April 16, 2022
185
April 9, 2022
186
April 2, 2022
168
March 26, 2022
171
March 19, 2022
166
March 12, 2022
177
March 5, 2022
198
February 26, 2022
182
February 19, 2022
198
February 12, 2022
209
February 5, 2022
191
January 29, 2022
214
January 22, 2022
222
January 15, 2022
240
January 8, 2022
238
January 1, 2022
224
December 25, 2021
211
December 18, 2021
220
December 11, 2021
228
December 4, 2021
228
November 27, 2021
240
November 20, 2021
244
November 13, 2021
265
November 6, 2021
279
October 30, 2021
280
October 23, 2021
294
October 16, 2021
310
October 9, 2021
317
October 2, 2021
340
September 25, 2021
376
September 18, 2021
380
September 11, 2021
363
September 4, 2021
361
August 28, 2021
381
August 21, 2021
395
August 14, 2021
405
August 7, 2021
416
July 31, 2021
414
July 24, 2021
411
July 17, 2021
424
July 10, 2021
391
July 3, 2021
403
June 26, 2021
405
June 19, 2021
424
June 12, 2021
429
June 5, 2021
420
May 29, 2021
427
May 22, 2021
441
May 15, 2021
467
May 8, 2021
494
May 1, 2021
517
April 24, 2021
574
April 17, 2021
566
April 10, 2021
571
April 3, 2021
645
March 27, 2021
658
March 20, 2021
658
March 13, 2021
765
March 6, 2021
734
February 27, 2021
761
February 20, 2021
747
February 13, 2021
847
February 6, 2021
863
January 30, 2021
837
January 23, 2021
836
January 16, 2021
886
January 9, 2021
904
January 2, 2021
781
December 26, 2020
763
December 19, 2020
803
December 12, 2020
783
December 5, 2020
853
November 28, 2020
719
November 21, 2020
762
November 14, 2020
732
November 7, 2020
728
October 31, 2020
765
October 24, 2020
768
October 17, 2020
798
October 10, 2020
833
October 3, 2020
782
September 26, 2020
803
September 19, 2020
860
September 12, 2020
860
September 5, 2020
881
August 29, 2020
875
August 22, 2020
872
August 15, 2020
920
August 8, 2020
883
August 1, 2020
1,043
July 25, 2020
1,262
July 18, 2020
1,398
July 11, 2020
1,479
July 4, 2020
1,398
June 27, 2020
1,436
June 20, 2020
1,460
June 13, 2020
1,472
June 6, 2020
1,537
May 30, 2020
1,605
May 23, 2020
1,887
May 16, 2020
2,149
May 9, 2020
2,315
May 2, 2020
2,784
April 25, 2020
3,451
April 18, 2020
4,202
April 11, 2020
4,869
April 4, 2020
6,149
March 28, 2020
6,867
March 21, 2020
3,307
March 14, 2020
282
March 7, 2020
211
February 29, 2020
217
February 22, 2020
220
February 15, 2020
215
February 8, 2020
204
February 1, 2020
201
January 25, 2020
212
January 18, 2020
220
January 11, 2020
207
January 4, 2020
212
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US Department of Labor. (January 5, 2023). Number of initial unemployment insurance claims made per week in the United States from the beginning of the pandemic to December 2022 (in 1,000s) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved September 01, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1107247/unemployment-insurance-initial-claims-weekly/
US Department of Labor. "Number of initial unemployment insurance claims made per week in the United States from the beginning of the pandemic to December 2022 (in 1,000s)." Chart. January 5, 2023. Statista. Accessed September 01, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1107247/unemployment-insurance-initial-claims-weekly/
US Department of Labor. (2023). Number of initial unemployment insurance claims made per week in the United States from the beginning of the pandemic to December 2022 (in 1,000s). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: September 01, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1107247/unemployment-insurance-initial-claims-weekly/
US Department of Labor. "Number of Initial Unemployment Insurance Claims Made per Week in The United States from The Beginning of The Pandemic to December 2022 (in 1,000s)." Statista, Statista Inc., 5 Jan 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1107247/unemployment-insurance-initial-claims-weekly/
US Department of Labor, Number of initial unemployment insurance claims made per week in the United States from the beginning of the pandemic to December 2022 (in 1,000s) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1107247/unemployment-insurance-initial-claims-weekly/ (last visited September 01, 2024)
Number of initial unemployment insurance claims made per week in the United States from the beginning of the pandemic to December 2022 (in 1,000s) [Graph], US Department of Labor, January 5, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1107247/unemployment-insurance-initial-claims-weekly/