Extending UI to striking workers would mean small costs for states but large gains for workers: Average monthly UI expenditures and estimated UI claims by striking workers, January 2022–November 2023
| Estimated UI to be paid | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | UI eligibility waiting period | State average strike duration | Average duration of strikes that meet/ exceed eligibility waiting period | Estimated monthly striking workers eligible for UI | State UI recipiency rate, 2023 | State average weekly UI benefit | At current recipiency rates | Assuming higher UI uptake by union members (+20ppt) | Assuming 100% UI uptake | Assuming strikes last 4 weeks longer than normal and 100% uptake | Current average monthly statewide benefits paid |
| California | 14 days | 8 days | 7 weeks | 2303 | 42.6% | $352 | $2,576,000 | $3,785,000 | $6,045,000 | $9,288,000 | $471,110,000 |
| Connecticut | 14 days | 8 days | 4 weeks | 76 | 37.3% | $434 | $43,000 | $66,000 | $116,000 | $248,000 | $41,012,000 |
| Illinois | 14 days | 10 days | 5 weeks | 54 | 31.2% | $467 | $39,000 | $64,000 | $124,000 | $225,000 | $143,295,000 |
| Massachusetts | 30 days | 6 days | 7 weeks | 2 | 60.7% | $636 | $7,000 | $9,000 | $11,000 | $18,000 | $151,494,000 |
| New Jersey | 14 days | 11 days | 5 weeks | 24 | 49.3% | $540 | $29,000 | $41,000 | $59,000 | $110,000 | $178,354,000 |
| New York | 7 days | 9 days | 6 weeks | 124 | 40.0% | $386 | $109,000 | $163,000 | $272,000 | $463,000 | $214,649,000 |
| Ohio | 14 days | 18 days | 5 weeks | 74 | 21.1% | $440 | $33,000 | $64,000 | $156,000 | $286,000 | $58,332,000 |
| Pennsylvania | 30 days | 10 days | 8 weeks | 78 | 35.3% | $427 | $99,000 | $155,000 | $279,000 | $413,000 | $122,906,000 |
| Washington | 7 days | 3 days | 2 weeks | 540 | 32.1% | $631 | $170,000 | $276,000 | $530,000 | $1,894,000 | $101,844,000 |
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.