Unemployment Insurance is the main U.S. government program that helps workers who lose a job through no fault of their own. By paying eligible workers a portion of their normal wage while they look for work, Unemployment Insurance mitigates the hardship faced by individual unemployed workers and simultaneously stabilizes the macroeconomy. Equitable Growth works to stimulate and disseminate research on the role Unemployment Insurance plays in the lives of workers and the economy as a whole.
Featured work
Expanding eligibility for Unemployment Insurance helps low-income U.S. workers find better jobs
December 9, 2025
December 9, 2025
Equitable Growth hosts Econ 101 virtual event on how U.S. social insurance programs boost economic mobility
December 1, 2025
December 1, 2025
Changing earnings requirements for Unemployment Insurance could improve access and better support U.S. workers
October 24, 2024
October 24, 2024
What is social infrastructure, and how does it support economic growth in the United States?
January 26, 2023
January 26, 2023
In conversation with Alexander Hertel-Fernandez
October 6, 2020
October 6, 2020
Explore Content in Unemployment Insurance168
Diverse Policy Committees Can Reach Underrepresented Groups
September 16, 2021
September 16, 2021
August Jobs Report: Uncertainty and teacher shortages loom over the new school year
September 3, 2021
September 3, 2021
Income support programs boost earnings for low-wage workers by reducing household poverty in the United States
August 26, 2021
August 26, 2021
NBER Summer Institute 2021 Round-up: Week 3
August 2, 2021
August 2, 2021
NBER Summer Institute 2021 Round-up: Week 2
July 26, 2021
July 26, 2021
NBER Summer Institute 2021 Round-up: Week 1
July 19, 2021
July 19, 2021
Policymakers should ensure that the U.S. labor market recovery lasts by boosting workers’ bargaining power and strengthening social infrastructure
July 12, 2021
July 12, 2021
June jobs report: What the coronavirus recession means for foreign-born workers in the United States
July 2, 2021
July 2, 2021
A new report lays out the path forward for faltering U.S. Unemployment Insurance system
June 24, 2021
June 24, 2021
The future of work and worker power post-COVID a key topic at the 2021 Labor and Employment Relations Association annual conference
June 14, 2021
June 14, 2021
U.S. jobs report: Amid robust employment gains in May policymakers need to consider the future direction of demand-driven employment growth across industries
June 4, 2021
June 4, 2021
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