For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Wednesday, September 25, 2019 USDL-19-1692 

Technical information: (202) 691-6378 • cpsinfo@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/cps 

Media contact: (202) 691-5902 • PressOffice@bls.gov

(NOTE: This news release was reissued on November 7, 2019, to correct errors in tables 1, 

2, and 3 and in the text of the release. Tables 4 and 5 in this release were not affected by the 

error. Detailed information is available on page 5.) 

CHARACTERISTICS OF UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE APPLICANTS AND BENEFIT

RECIPIENTS — 2018

In 2018, about 1 in 4 (26 percent) of the unemployed who worked in the past 12 months had 

applied for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 

today. Of the unemployed who had not applied, 3 out of 5 did not apply because they did not 

believe they were eligible to receive UI benefits.

Only people who have previously worked are eligible for UI benefits, and they generally must 

apply shortly after their last job. Therefore, estimates presented in this news release are restricted 

to people who had worked at some point in the 12 months prior to the survey. In 2018, nearly 

two-thirds of the unemployed had worked in the last 12 months. Other unemployed people, 

including those who entered the labor force for the first time and those who last worked more 

than a year ago, are excluded from these data.

This information was obtained in a supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS), a 

monthly sample survey of about 60,000 households that provides data on employment and 

unemployment in the United States. This supplement, which was conducted in May and 

September 2018, was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Chief Evaluation Office. 

Estimates in this news release—referred to as 2018 estimates—are averages of data collected in 

both months. The official measure of unemployment from the CPS is based on job search and 

current availability for employment, rather than on application for or receipt of UI benefits. A 

more detailed description of the concepts and definitions used in the supplement is included in 

the Technical Note in this news release.

Highlights from the 2018 data: 

• The majority—74 percent—of unemployed people who worked in the past 12 months had 

not applied for UI benefits since their last job. Twenty-six percent of unemployed people 

who worked in the past 12 months had applied for UI benefits. (See table 1.) 
-2- 

• Unemployed people covered by a union contract on their last job were about twice as likely 

to have applied for UI benefits as those who were not covered: 53 percent versus 24 percent. 

(See table 2.)

• Among unemployed people who had not applied for UI benefits, 59 percent did not apply 

because they thought they were ineligible to receive benefits. Another 12 percent cited 

attitudes about or barriers to applying, such as they did not need the money, they had a 

negative attitude about UI, they did not know about UI, or they had problems with the 

application process. (See table 3.) 

• Two-thirds of unemployed people who had applied for UI benefits since their last job 

received benefits. (See table 1.)

Unemployment Insurance Applicants

In 2018, 26 percent of the unemployed who worked in the past 12 months had applied for UI 

benefits since their last job. (See table 1.)

The likelihood of applying for UI benefits varied by reason for unemployment. Thirty-eight 

percent of job losers and people who completed temporary jobs had applied for UI benefits since 

their last job. The figure was lower for people with other reasons for unemployment: 10 percent 

for job leavers and 9 percent for reentrants to the labor force who worked in the last year. (Job 

leavers are unemployed people who left their jobs voluntarily, and reentrants are unemployed 

people who have past work experience but were not in the labor force before beginning their 

current job search.) 

People with longer durations of unemployment were more likely to apply for UI benefits than 

were people with shorter durations of joblessness. For example, 38 percent of people looking for 

work for 15 to 26 weeks and 37 percent of those looking for 27 weeks and over had applied for 

UI benefits, compared with 27 percent of those looking for work for 5 to 14 weeks. Those 

unemployed for less than 5 weeks were the least likely to apply for UI benefits, at 17 percent. 

Unemployed men were more likely than unemployed women to have applied for UI benefits (27 

percent, compared with 23 percent). There was little difference in the likelihood of applying for 

benefits by race or Hispanic ethnicity.

The likelihood of applying for UI benefits increased with age. About 7 percent of unemployed 

people ages 16 to 24 had applied since their last job, compared with 32 percent of those ages 25 

to 54 and 37 percent of those 55 years and over. 

In general, unemployed people with higher educational attainment were more likely to have 

applied for UI benefits than were those with lower educational attainment. Among unemployed 

people age 25 and older, 40 percent of those with a bachelor’s degree and higher had applied for 

UI benefits. By contrast, 22 percent of those with less than a high school diploma had applied. 
-3- 

Unemployed people with a professional certification or license, who tend to have greater 

educational attainment, were more likely to have applied for UI benefits than those without such 

a credential (33 percent, compared with 24 percent).

People last employed in management, professional, and related occupations were the most likely 

to have applied for UI benefits (38 percent), compared with people in other major occupational 

groups. Those last employed in service occupations were the least likely to have applied (15 

percent). (See table 2.)

By industry, unemployed people who last worked in leisure and hospitality (12 percent) and in 

other services (10 percent) were least likely to have applied for UI benefits. In other industries, 

the likelihood of applying ranged from 46 percent for financial activities to 23 percent for 

wholesale and retail trade.

Unemployed people who were covered by a union contract on their last job were about twice as 

likely to have applied for UI benefits, 53 percent compared with 24 percent of those who were 

not covered. 

Reason for Not Applying for Unemployment Insurance Benefits

Of the unemployed in 2018 who worked in the last 12 months but did not apply for UI benefits, 

59 percent did not apply because they believed they were ineligible. Eligibility issues include: 

their work was not covered by UI, they quit their job, they were terminated for misconduct, they 

had insufficient past work, and they had previously exhausted their benefits. (See table 3.)

Twelve percent of unemployed people who had not applied for UI benefits had not done so 

because of attitudes about or barriers to applying—for example, they did not need the money or 

want the hassle, they had a negative attitude about UI, they did not know about UI or did not 

know how to apply, or they had problems with the application process. 

Another 25 percent of unemployed people who had not applied for UI benefits reported other 

reasons, such as they expected to start work soon, they did not apply for personal reasons, or they 

planned to file for benefits soon. 

About 5 percent of unemployed people who had not applied for UI benefits did not provide a 

reason for not applying. 

Unemployment Insurance Benefit Recipients

In 2018, 66 percent of unemployed people who had applied for UI benefits since their last job 

received benefits. (See table 1.)

Among unemployed applicants, 69 percent of job losers and people who completed temporary 

jobs received benefits. This was higher than the figure of 55 percent for reentrants to the labor 

force.
-4- 

Applicants who were unemployed less than 5 weeks were less likely to receive benefits (42 

percent) than were those with longer durations of joblessness. For example, 78 percent of 

applicants unemployed for 27 weeks and over had received benefits. 

Men and women who applied for UI benefits were about equally likely to have received benefits 

(66 percent and 65 percent, respectively). There was little difference in the likelihood of 

receiving benefits by race or Hispanic ethnicity.

Older applicants were more likely than younger applicants to have received UI benefits since 

their last job. Seventy-eight percent of applicants age 55 and older had received UI benefits, 

compared with 64 percent of applicants ages 25 to 54. 

The majority of applicants age 25 and older had received benefits, regardless of their educational 

attainment. For example, about two-thirds of high school graduates (with no college) received 

benefits since their last job. 

Seventy-one percent of applicants with a certification or license had received UI benefits, little 

different from the 65 percent of those without a certification or license. 

The percentage of applicants who had received benefits ranged from 54 percent for those who 

last worked in production, transportation, and material moving occupations to 71 percent for 

those in natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations. (See table 2.) 

Applicants who were covered by a union contract in their last job were more likely to have 

received UI benefits. About four-fifths (82 percent) of applicants who were covered by a union 

contract had received benefits since their last job, compared with roughly two-thirds (64 percent) 

of applicants who were not covered.

People Marginally Attached to the Labor Force 

Some individuals may be eligible for UI benefits even though they were not classified as 

unemployed in the survey. In 2018, 17 percent of people marginally attached to the labor force 

had applied for UI benefits since their last job. (These estimates are restricted to people who had 

worked in the past 12 months.) (See table 4.) 

People marginally attached to the labor force are those who are neither employed nor 

unemployed, who want a job, have searched for work during the prior 12 months (but not in the 

last 4 weeks), and were available to take a job. If they had looked for work in the last 4 weeks, 

they would be counted as unemployed. 

More than half (54 percent) of people marginally attached to the labor force had not applied for 

UI benefits since their last job because they believed they were ineligible to receive benefits. 

Another 14 percent had not applied due to attitudes about or barriers to applying for UI benefits, 

and 23 percent had not applied for UI benefits for other reasons. Nine percent of people 

marginally attached to the labor force who had not applied for UI benefits did not provide a 

reason for not applying. (See table 5.) 
-5- 

Data Corrections

This news release, originally issued on September 25, 2019, contained errors in tables 1, 2, and 3 

and in the text of the release. The estimates in the original news release were not correctly 

restricted to unemployed people who worked in the last 12 months, but also included 

unemployed people who had worked more than 12 months ago. 

Estimates in this reissued news release have been restricted to unemployed people who worked 

in the past 12 months. After this correction, the number of unemployed people who had worked 

in the past 12 months was 3.7 million, rather than 5.3 million as originally published. The 

corrected number of unemployed who had applied for UI benefits was 947,000, instead of 1.2 

million as originally published. 

Although estimates of numbers of the unemployed and the numbers of UI applicants changed 

considerably, most percentages derived from those levels showed little meaningful difference, 

and the key analytical findings in this news release were largely unaffected. The corrected 

proportion of unemployed people who applied for UI benefits was 26 percent for those who 

worked in the past 12 months, compared with 23 percent as originally published. The share of 

the unemployed who applied for UI benefits remained roughly 1 in 4. 

Estimates of people marginally attached to the labor force, including all data in tables 4 and 5, 

were unaffected by the error.

 
Technical Note

The data presented in this news release were collected 

through a supplement to the May and September 2018 

Current Population Survey (CPS). The CPS is a 

monthly survey of about 60,000 eligible households 

that provides data on employment and unemployment 

for the nation’s civilian noninstitutional population 

age 16 and over. The CPS is conducted by the U.S. 

Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics 

(BLS).

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Chief Evaluation 

Office sponsored the collection of the May and 

September 2018 supplement to obtain information 

about the number and characteristics of those who do 

and do not file for unemployment insurance (UI) 

benefits, as well as information on those who receive 

benefits. These data provide information not available 

from the UI program administrative data or the 

monthly CPS.

One of the most persistent misconceptions about the 

CPS unemployment measure is that it is based on the 

number of people who apply for or receive UI benefits. 

However, data on UI program participation cannot be 

used to determine unemployment because the CPS 

concept includes people who are not eligible for 

benefits, who have exhausted their benefits, and who 

do not apply for benefits. The monthly CPS does not 

include questions about UI participation.

Only people who have previously worked are eligible 

for UI benefits, and they generally must apply shortly 

after their last job. Therefore, estimates presented in 

this news release are restricted to people who had 

worked at some point in the 12 months prior to the 

survey. In 2018, nearly two-thirds of the unemployed 

had worked in the last 12 months. Other unemployed 

people, including those who entered the labor force for 

the first time and those who last worked more than a 

year ago, are excluded from this news release.

The estimates in this release—referred to as 2018 

estimates—are averages of data collected in May and 

September 2018. Data are weighted to produce 

nationally representative estimates. The supplement 

weights are controlled to population estimates that are 

averaged over the 2 months.

Information in this news release will be made 

available to sensory-impaired individuals upon 

request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay 

Service: (800) 877-8339.

Definitions

The principle definitions used in this news release are 

described below. Additional information about CPS 

concepts and definitions is available on the BLS 

website at www.bls.gov/cps/definitions.htm.

Unemployed who worked in the past 12 months. In the 

CPS, people are classified as unemployed if they were 

not employed during the survey reference week; were 

available for work during the survey reference week 

(except for temporary illness); and had made at least 

one specific, active effort to find employment 

sometime during the 4-week period ending with the 

survey reference week. People who were waiting to be 

recalled to a job from which they had been laid off 

need not have been looking for work to be classified 

as unemployed.

Data in this news release exclude unemployed people 

with no previous work experience and those who last 

worked more than 12 months prior to the survey. 

However, all unemployed persons expecting to be 

recalled from temporary layoff are included, 

regardless of whether they worked in the 12 months 

prior to the survey.

Marginally attached to the labor force who worked in 

the past 12 months. People marginally attached to the 

labor force are those who are neither employed nor 

unemployed, who want a job, have searched for work 

during the prior 12 months, and were available to take 

a job during the survey reference week, but had not 

looked for work in the 4-week period ending with the 

survey reference week. If they had looked for work in 

the 4-week period, they would be counted as 

unemployed.

Data in this news release on people marginally 

attached to the labor force refer to those who worked 

in the past 12 months, a subset of total marginally 

attached.

Unemployment Insurance (UI). The federal-state UI 

program provides unemployment benefits to eligible 

workers (as determined under state law). The UI 

payments (benefits) are intended to provide temporary 

financial assistance to unemployed workers. Each 

state administers a separate UI program within 

guidelines established by federal law. Eligibility for 

UI benefit amounts and the length of time benefits are 

available are determined by the state law under which 

UI claims are established. For more information about
state UI programs, visit 

https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/uifactsheet.asp.

UI benefit applicants. In the CPS, UI applicants are 

people who applied for UI benefits since their last job. 

Whether a person applied for UI benefits was 

determined through answers to the question: “Have 

you applied for unemployment benefits since your last 

job?” Data in this news release refer to unemployed 

individuals and people marginally attached to the labor 

force who had worked in the past 12 months.

UI benefit recipients. In the CPS, these individuals are 

UI applicants who received UI benefits since their last 

job. This information was obtained from the following 

question: “Have you received any unemployment 

benefits since your last job?” This question was asked 

of people who had applied for UI benefits since their 

last job. Data in this news release refer to 

unemployed individuals and people marginally 

attached to the labor force who had worked in the 

past 12 months.

Union coverage on last job. Data in this news release 

refer both to union members and to those who were 

covered by a union contract on their last job. Union

coverage on the last job is based on the question: 

“Were you a union member or covered by a union 

contract on your last job?”

Main reason for not applying for UI benefits. This 

information is based on responses to the question: 

“There are a variety of reasons why people might not 

apply for unemployment benefits. What are the 

reasons you have not applied for unemployment 

benefits since your last job?” Interviewers could 

record more than one reason. If respondents provided 

more than one reason, interviewers asked which was 

their main reason.

Comparability of the estimates

Previous supplements collected data on UI applicants 

and benefit recipients in 2005, 1993, 1989, and 1976. 

The 2018 supplement questions used to identify UI 

applicants and benefit recipients were similar to the 

2005 supplement but were different from questions 

used in earlier years.

The 2018 estimates are not strictly comparable with 

those from prior years. Changes in survey methods 

affect the comparability of estimates over time. For 

example, the questions were not the same in all 

supplements. Also, collection periods differed across 

supplements, and the supplements were not always 

administered to all CPS respondents. For example, the 

2018 supplement was collected in 2 nonconsecutive

months (May and September) from the full CPS 

sample. The supplements for 2005, 1993, and 1989 

were collected in 4 different months, and the questions 

were asked of about one-fourth of the CPS sample (the 

outgoing rotations). (Specifically, the 2005 

supplement data were collected in January, May, July, 

and November; the 1993 supplement was 

administered in February, June, August, and 

November; and the 1989 supplement was conducted in 

May, August, and November 1989 and in February 

1990.) The 1976 supplement was administered to the 

full sample in May 1976.

Other factors should also be considered when 

analyzing the data. Different points in the business 

cycle, changesin state UI laws, and the seasonal nature 

of applying for UI benefits can further complicate 

comparisons of data over time. For example, the 

unemployment rate in 2018 was relatively low by 

historical standards, which may impact the number 

and characteristics of people who apply for UI 

benefits.

Reliability of the estimates

Statistics based on the CPS are subject to both 

sampling and nonsampling error. When a sample, 

rather than the entire population, is surveyed, there is 

a chance that the sample estimates may differ from the 

true population values they represent. The component 

of this difference that occurs because samples differ by 

chance is known as sampling error, and its variability 

is measured by the standard error of the estimate. 

There is about a 90-percent chance, or level of 

confidence, that an estimate based on a sample will 

differ by no more than 1.6 standard errorsfrom the true 

population value because of sampling error. BLS 

analyses are generally conducted at the 90-percent 

level of confidence.

The CPS data also are affected by nonsampling error. 

Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, 

including the failure to sample a segment of the 

population, inability to obtain information for all 

respondents in the sample, inability or unwillingness 

of respondents to provide correct information, and 

errors made in the collection or processing of the data.

General information about the reliability of data from 

the CPS is available at 

www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#reliability.
Table 1. Unemployment insurance (UI) benefit applicants and recipients among unemployed persons who had worked in the past 12

months by selected characteristics, 2018

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

Unemployed who

worked in the

past 12 months1

UI benefit applicants

Total Percent of

unemployed

UI benefit recipients

Total

Percent of

UI benefit

applicants

Percent of

unemployed

Did not

apply for UI

benefits

Age

Total, 16 years and over 3,711 947 25.5 623 65.8 16.8 2,727

16 to 24 years 1,053 71 6.8 34 - 3.2 977

25 to 54 years 2,070 657 31.7 418 63.6 20.2 1,386

55 years and over 587 219 37.2 171 78.3 29.2 363

Sex

Men 2,046 559 27.3 370 66.2 18.1 1,466

Women 1,665 388 23.3 253 65.1 15.2 1,261

Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

White 2,635 701 26.6 476 67.9 18.1 1,909

Black or African American 704 166 23.5 100 60.5 14.2 536

Asian 158 36 22.6 18 - 11.5 120

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity 821 196 23.8 116 59.1 14.1 618

Disability status

With a disability 239 61 25.4 41 - 17.3 177

With no disability 3,472 887 25.5 582 65.6 16.8 2,549

Foreign born status

Foreign born 511 138 27.0 89 64.7 17.5 367

Native born 3,200 809 25.3 534 65.9 16.7 2,359

Reason for unemployment

Job losers and persons who completed temporary jobs 2,109 801 38.0 555 69.4 26.3 1,291

Job leavers 708 69 9.7 25 - 3.5 631

Reentrants 893 78 8.7 43 54.8 4.8 805

Duration of unemployment

Less than 5 weeks 1,579 261 16.5 109 41.7 6.9 1,310

5 to 14 weeks 1,114 302 27.1 209 69.2 18.8 805

15 to 26 weeks 652 248 38.1 199 80.0 30.5 390

27 weeks and over 366 136 37.1 106 78.4 29.0 222

Certification and licensing status

With a certification or license 505 165 32.6 117 70.8 23.1 339

Without a certification or license 3,205 783 24.4 506 64.7 15.8 2,388

Educational attainment

Total, 25 years and over 2,657 876 33.0 589 67.3 22.2 1,749

Less than a high school diploma 321 69 21.5 36 - 11.1 252

High school graduates, no college2 859 255 29.7 169 66.1 19.6 587

Some college or associate degree 766 271 35.3 174 64.3 22.7 486

Bachelor's degree and higher3 711 281 39.6 211 74.9 29.6 424

1

 Includes a relatively small number of persons who did not provide information about applying for UI benefits, not shown separately.

2

 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.

3

 Includes persons with bachelor's, master's, professional, and doctoral degrees.

NOTE: Estimates are an average of data collected in May and September 2018. Data exclude unemployed persons with no previous work experience and

those who last worked more than 12 months prior to the survey. However, all unemployed persons expecting to be recalled from temporary layoff are included,

regardless of whether they worked in the 12 months prior to the survey. Estimates for the above race groups (White, Black or African American, and Asian) do

not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Dash indicates no

data or data that do not meet publication criteria (values not shown where base is less than 75,000).
Table 2. Unemployment insurance (UI) benefit applicants and recipients among unemployed persons who had worked in the past

12 months by characteristics of last job, 2018

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

Unemployed

who worked

in the past

12 months1

UI benefit applicants

Total Percent of

unemployed

UI benefit recipients

Total

Percent of

UI benefit

applicants

Percent of

unemployed

Did not

apply for UI

benefits

Total, 16 years and over 3,711 947 25.5 623 65.8 16.8 2,727

Union status on last job2

Union member or represented by a union 172 91 52.7 74 81.7 43.0 81

Nonunion 3,464 837 24.2 536 64.1 15.5 2,610

Occupation of last job3

Management, professional, and related occupation 795 299 37.6 205 68.5 25.7 484

Management, business, and financial operations occupations 318 155 48.8 107 69.1 33.7 159

Professional and related occupations 477 144 30.1 97 67.9 20.4 325

Service occupations 843 128 15.2 85 66.7 10.1 703

Sales and office occupations 906 223 24.6 149 66.6 16.4 676

Sales and related occupations 497 91 18.3 64 70.5 12.9 404

Office and administrative support occupations 409 132 32.4 85 63.9 20.7 271

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations 479 142 29.6 101 71.0 21.0 334

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations 60 14 - 6 - - 46

Construction and extraction occupations 335 108 32.1 81 75.7 24.3 226

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations 84 20 24.2 13 - 15.9 62

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations 672 154 22.9 84 54.3 12.4 516

Production occupations 284 68 23.8 36 - 12.7 214

Transportation and material moving occupations 388 86 22.2 48 55.2 12.3 301

Industry of last job3

Agriculture and related industries 90 33 36.2 18 - 20.0 57

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction 16 7 - 4 - - 9

Construction 370 113 30.4 87 76.8 23.4 257

Manufacturing 386 121 31.4 84 69.1 21.7 258

Wholesale and retail trade 664 152 22.9 98 64.3 14.7 507

Transportation and utilities 165 40 24.4 16 - 9.7 122

Information 66 23 - 19 - - 43

Financial activities 160 73 45.6 55 - 34.4 83

Professional and business services 474 129 27.3 77 59.8 16.3 344

Education and health services 520 148 28.5 102 69.0 19.7 361

Leisure and hospitality 565 69 12.3 44 - 7.8 490

Other services 144 15 10.3 7 - 4.8 129

Public administration 74 22 - 12 - - 52

1

 Includes a relatively small number of persons who did not provide information about applying for UI benefits, not shown separately.

2

 Refers to union members and those covered by a union contract on their last job. Data do not sum to total because some individuals did not respond to the

question about union membership.

3

 Persons whose last job was in the U.S. Armed Forces are included in the unemployed total, but not shown separately.

NOTE: Estimates are an average of data collected in May and September 2018. Data exclude unemployed persons with no previous work experience and

those who last worked more than 12 months prior to the survey. However, all unemployed persons expecting to be recalled from temporary layoff are included,

regardless of whether they worked in the 12 months prior to the survey. Dash indicates no data or data that do not meet publication criteria (values not shown

where base is less than 75,000).
Table 3. Main reason for not applying for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits among

unemployed persons who had worked in the past 12 months, 2018

[Numbers in thousands]

Main reason for not applying for UI benefits

Unemployed persons1 who did

not apply for UI benefits

Total Percent

distribution

Total, 16 years and over 2,727 100.0

Eligibility issues 1,611 59.1

Job separation type (quit, misconduct, etc.) or work not covered by UI 884 32.4

Insufficient past work 496 18.2

Previous exhaustion of benefits 18 0.7

Any other reason concerning eligibility 213 7.8

Attitude about or barrier to applying for UI benefits 314 11.5

Do not need the money or do not want the hassle 176 6.5

Negative attitude about UI 39 1.4

Do not know about UI or do not know how to apply 79 2.9

Problems with application process 19 0.7

Other reasons for not applying for UI benefits 676 24.8

Expect to start working soon 355 13.0

Did not apply for personal reasons 91 3.4

Plan to file soon 86 3.2

All other reasons 143 5.2

Reason not provided 126 4.6

1

 Data exclude unemployed persons with no previous work experience and those who last worked more than 12

months prior to the survey. However, all unemployed persons expecting to be recalled from temporary layoff are

included, regardless of whether they worked in the 12 months prior to the survey.

NOTE: Estimates are an average of data collected in May and September 2018. Dash indicates no data or data

that do not meet publication criteria (values not shown where base is less than 75,000).
Table 4. Unemployment insurance (UI) benefit applicants and recipients among persons marginally attached to the labor force

who had worked in the past 12 months by selected characteristics, 2018

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

Marginally

attached to the

labor force who

worked in the

past 12 months1

UI benefit applicants

Total

Percent of

marginally

attached

UI benefit recipients

Total

Percent of

marginally

attached

Did not apply

for UI

benefits

Age

Total, 16 years and over 477 81 17.0 45 9.5 387

16 to 24 years 144 11 7.7 5 3.2 128

25 to 54 years 246 48 19.4 28 11.6 194

55 years and over 87 23 25.8 12 14.1 65

Sex

Men 262 40 15.4 28 10.5 218

Women 215 41 19.0 18 8.3 169

Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

White 324 60 18.5 39 12.0 261

Black or African American 98 12 12.2 - - 82

Asian 23 7 - 5 - 13

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity 70 9 - 8 - 61

Educational attainment

Total, 25 years and over 333 70 21.1 41 12.3 258

Less than a high school diploma 40 10 - 10 - 30

High school graduates, no college2 125 23 18.5 15 11.7 98

Some college or associate degree 92 17 18.0 2 2.2 75

Bachelor's degree and higher3 76 21 27.3 14 19.0 55

1

 Includes a relatively small number of persons who did not provide information about applying for UI benefits, not shown separately.

2

 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.

3

 Includes persons with bachelor's, master's, professional, and doctoral degrees.

NOTE: Estimates are an average of data collected in May and September 2018. Persons marginally attached to the labor force are those who are neither

employed nor unemployed, who want a job, have searched for work during the prior 12 months, and were available to take a job during the reference week,

but had not looked for work in the 4 weeks prior to the survey. All data in this table refer to the subset of persons marginally attached to the labor force who

have worked in the past 12 months. Estimates for the above race groups (White, Black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data

are not presented for all races. Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Dash indicates no data or data that do not

meet publication criteria (values not shown where base is less than 75,000).
Table 5. Main reason for not applying for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits among

persons marginally attached to the labor force who had worked in the past 12 months, 2018

[Numbers in thousands]

Main reason for not applying for UI benefits

Marginally attached1 who did not

apply for UI benefits

Total Percent

distribution

Total, 16 years and over 387 100.0

Eligibility issues 209 54.2

Job separation type (quit, misconduct, etc.) or work not covered by UI 129 33.4

Insufficient past work 51 13.1

Previous exhaustion of benefits 5 1.3

Any other reason concerning eligibility 24 6.3

Attitude about or barrier to applying for UI benefits 55 14.2

Do not need the money or do not want the hassle 25 6.5

Negative attitude about UI 6 1.6

Do not know about UI or do not know how to apply 14 3.5

Problems with application process 10 2.5

Other reasons for not applying for UI benefits 88 22.7

Expect to start working soon 24 6.1

Did not apply for personal reasons 22 5.6

Plan to file soon 16 4.2

All other reasons 26 6.8

Reason not provided 35 8.9

1

 Data refer to the subset of persons marginally attached to the labor force who have worked in the past 12

months. (Persons marginally attached to the labor force are those who are neither employed nor unemployed,

who want a job, have searched for work during the prior 12 months, and were available to take a job during the

reference week, but had not looked for work in the 4 weeks prior to the survey.)

NOTE: Estimates are an average of data collected in May and September 2018. Dash indicates no data or data

that do not meet publication criteria (values not shown where base is less than 75,000).