Discussion Paper

Changes in State Unemployment Insurance Rules during the COVID-19 Outbreak in the U.S.

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic led to an unprecedented expansion in unemployment insurance (UI) eligibility across states. While more than forty states had modified UI rules by the end of March, not all states responded in the same way. In this article, I summarize the changes to state UI rules in response to the crisis and explore factors that have contributed to the variation in states’ responses.

Keywords: Fiscal policy; COVID-19; Unemployment insurance;

JEL Classification: H72; J65;

https://doi.org/10.29338/ph2020-02

Bibliographic Information

Provider: Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

Part of Series: Policy Hub*

Publication Date: 2020-04-14

Number: 2020-2