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Press Release

Press Release  Massachusetts Monthly Unemployment Claimant Data for January 2023

For immediate release:
2/17/2023
  • Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development

Media Contact

Michele Campbell, Director of Communications

Online

Email Michele Campbell, Director of Communications at michele.campbell@mass.gov

MASSACHUSETTS — BOSTON, MA - February 17, 2023 – Massachusetts had 36,837 initial claims (IC) for regular Unemployment Insurance (UI) during the month of January, a decline of 4,326 from the previous month. Most initial claims this month were seen in Construction, Administrative & Waste, and Professional and Technical. Continued Weeks Claimed (CWC) increased by 140,480 from the previous month to 379,842. Construction, Administrative & Waste, and Food & Accommodation saw the highest number of continued claimants(*1) this month.

The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, which was implemented on April 20, 2020, had no initial claims. There were 124 continued weeks claimed, a decrease of 44 continued weeks claimed from the previous month. The PUA benefits program ended on September 4, 2021.

The Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program, which was implemented on May 21, 2020, had a total of 14 initial claims. There were 125 continued weeks claimed, a decrease of 109 from the previous month. The PEUC program ended on September 4, 2021.

The federal/state Extended Benefits (EB) program, which triggered on May 3, 2020, due to the high volume of claims, had no initial claims filed and has no continued week claimed in the current month. The EB program ended on July 17, 2021.

The Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program, which was implemented on May 21, 2020, and provided an additional $300 per week on top of regular benefits, also ended on September 4, 2021, and has had no changes since. (*2)

1. Continued claimants are defined as individuals who have ongoing, active UI claims.

2. NOTE: Following the termination of pandemic assistance (PUA, FPUC, PEUC) and long-term benefit (EB) programs, claims reports will be published in conjunction with the Massachusetts Unemployment and Job Estimates monthly releases, at mass.gov/lwd in the News and Announcements section. Weekly UI claims reporting can be found at USDOL.

Figure 1 – Percent of Total Initial Claimants by Industry (January 2023)

Most sectors experienced increases in initial claimants filing over the month of January. Professional and Technical had the largest increase of 1,036 (+40.5%), followed by Healthcare & Social Assistance at 676 (+40.8%), and Manufacturing at 460 (+33%).

Table 1—Over the Month Changes in Initial Claimants

All sectors experienced increases in continued claimants over the month of January. Construction had the largest increase of 6,535 (+42.9%) The largest percentage increase was in Mining, which saw an increase of 150 claims (+116.3%).

Figure 2 – Total Continued Claimant Changes by Industry (January 2023)
Figure 3 – Total Continued Claimant Percent Change by Industry (January 2023)

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Media Contact

Online

Email Michele Campbell, Director of Communications at michele.campbell@mass.gov

  • Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development  

    EOLWD manages the Commonwealth’s workforce development and labor departments to ensure that workers, employers, and the unemployed have the tools and training needed to succeed in the Massachusetts economy.

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