Eight weeks into California’s reopening and three weeks before the federal benefit enhancements are scheduled to expire on September 4, total initial claims continue to rise in California while dropping in the rest of the country.
Below are the monthly updates from the most current July 2021 fuel price data (GasBuddy.com) and May 2021 electricity and natural gas price data (US Energy Information Administration).
Seven weeks into California’s reopening, initial unemployment claims continue to rise in the state while dropping in the rest of the country.
While goods flows through the state’s ports have largely returned to pre-pandemic levels and begun an expansion, port congestion continues to delay shipments, adding to shortages of both components and finished goods and contributing to the current inflationary surge.
Six weeks into California’s reopening, initial unemployment claims continue to rise in the state while dropping in the rest of the country.
Total initial claims rose sharply in California the week of July 24 while dropping more substantially elsewhere in the US. The US total fell to a new low for the pandemic period, while the California total was at its highest level since early April.
Highlights for policy makers:
COVID-19 and the State Economy
Employment 1.146 Million Below Recovery
Labor Force Participation Rate
Nonfarm Jobs: 1.244 Million Below Recovery
Jobs Change by Industry
Employment Recovery by Region
Unemployment Rates by Legislative Districts
Unemployment Rates by Region
MSAs with the Worst Unemployment Rates
Total initial claims in California were basically unchanged the week of July 17. The total rose for the US as a whole due to a rise in the numbers in a few states, in particular resumption of PUA claims in Indiana as the result of court challenges to that state’s early phase-out of enhanced benefits in order to counter labor shortages and a sharp rise in regular claims in Michigan due both to the annual automotive shut-downs for retooling and slowing production due to supply chain blockages.
In spite of the state’s full reopening on June 15, total initial claims in California the week of July 10 continued rising over the past two weeks. Following a somewhat larger than usual adjustment to last week’s numbers, total initial claims for the US as a whole have remained essentially level over the past three weeks.
Below are the monthly updates from the most current June 2021 fuel price data (GasBuddy.com) and April 2021 electricity and natural gas price data (US Energy Information Administration). Continuing the trends indicated in prior reports, energy prices rose across all sources, keeping energy costs for households and the state’s employers at or near the top […]
As the data begins to fully reflect the state’s full reopening on June 15, total initial claims in California the week of July 3 climbed back to levels previously seen the last three weeks of April.
While many of the May numbers show substantial increases over the prior year, these outcomes are due to comparisons at the low levels from May 2020 when world trade was substantially restrained by the pandemic. Comparisons instead against numbers from 2019 give a more realistic picture of ongoing trends and the extent to which trade activities in the state are moving towards recovery.
Total initial claims for the week of June 26 saw only a slight dip in the number of claims processed. The total has been little changed since mid-April.
Highlights for policy makers:
COVID-19 and the State Economy
Employment 1.170 Million Below Recovery
Labor Force Participation Rate Unchanged
Nonfarm Jobs: 1.308 Million Below Recovery
Jobs Change by Industry
Employment Recovery by Region
Unemployment Rates by Legislative Districts
Unemployment Rates by Region
MSAs with the Worst Unemployment Rates
Total initial claims for the week of June 19 saw only a slight dip from last week’s jump in the number of claims processed.