Unemployment Insurance (UI) claims remain near historic lows in Minnesota, suggesting that demand for workers - and the strength of the state’s economy - remains high. In fact, the average number of claims filed per month through the first three quarters of 2019 was the lowest reported in the past 20 years, just below the averages posted in 1999 and 2000.

With less than 200,000 total claims filed in 2017 and 2018 and even lower numbers posted through the first three quarters of 2019, unemployment insurance activity is down more than 10 percent compared to the previous low in 2016, and down more than 56 percent from the peak months of UI claims reported during the Great Recession in 2009. Claims are down across the board regardless of industry or demographic characteristic.

Because they are produced monthly and are directly tied to the employment status of workers, UI claims statistics provide an immediate indicator of economic changes. If claims activity starts to rise, DEED can use this information to identify what age groups, gender, race, occupations, industries, or geographic locations are getting hit the hardest. Understanding what UI claims tell us is a benefit to us all.

For more information about UI claims tell us, read Evaluating Unemployment Claims by Cameron Macht in the December issue of Minnesota Economic Trends .

Minnesota Economic Trends is the quarterly magazine from DEED’s Labor Market Information Office that provides expert analysis of the state's labor market, industries and economy.