Weekly unemployment claims since COVID-19 U.S. 2022

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