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
What happens to U.S. workers without access to Unemployment Insurance amid economic downturns or disruptions related to AI?
September 2, 2026
September 2, 2026
Expanding eligibility for Unemployment Insurance helps low-income U.S. workers find better jobs
December 9, 2025
December 9, 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 Insurance172
Addressing long-term U.S. unemployment requires confronting the stigma against the unemployed amid the coronavirus recession
October 22, 2020
October 22, 2020
Expert Focus: The consequences of economic inequality among Latinx groups in the United States
October 15, 2020
October 15, 2020
Labor organizations and Unemployment Insurance: A virtuous circle supporting U.S. workers’ voices and reducing disparities in benefits
October 9, 2020
October 9, 2020
In conversation with Alexander Hertel-Fernandez
October 6, 2020
October 6, 2020
What the coronavirus recession means for U.S. public-sector employment
October 2, 2020
October 2, 2020
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: September 2020 Report Edition
October 2, 2020
October 2, 2020
Do Unemployment Insurance Benefits Improve Match Quality? Evidence from Recent U.S. Recessions
September 29, 2020
September 29, 2020
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: August 2020 Report Edition
September 4, 2020
September 4, 2020
Get more money immediately to U.S. families and help them out of the coronavirus recession
September 1, 2020
September 1, 2020
Benefit risk, claim timing, and Unemployment Insurance benefit generosity in California
August 28, 2020
August 28, 2020
Reforming Unemployment Insurance across the United States
August 17, 2020
August 17, 2020
Most recent JOLTS release provides latest data on how the coronavirus recession is different from the Great Recession
August 10, 2020
August 10, 2020
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