April 29, 2020 WETHERSFIELD – Today, the Connecticut Department of Labor launched a website that further breaks down unemployment claims by age, industry, gender and town that will offer valuable insight for planning and budgeting purposes, and for developing responsible strategies for re-opening the state during the COVID-19 pandemic. Labor Department Launches Data Site Tracking Unemployment Offers Planning Tool for Cities and Towns
The site, (https://www1.ctdol.state.ct.us/lmi/claimsdata.asp) was developed by the agency’s Office of Research in an effort to track unemployment data from January 2015 through April 2020. Due to the large number of unemployment claims being processed since businesses began to shutdown to help combat the spread of the virus, April 2020 data is preliminary only.
“This site records processed initial claims, and includes statewide and town-by-town unemployment claims data that can serve as a tool for those municipal leaders looking for information that can help them with determining town budgets or those industries that may need more assistance in returning to business as usual,” said State Labor Commissioner Kurt Westby. “With so many unemployment claims related to the COVID-19 virus, it is especially important for government to use every piece of information to make wise decisions that help our citizens and the state’s economy. As we look at ways to get people back to work in a safe and responsible manner, this data can play an important role in analyzing trends and making future decisions.”
Those utilizing the site will be able to access spreadsheets that show processed claims by age, industry, gender and town. The site notes that the initial claims are applications for unemployment insurance and are preliminary since some applications may not result in benefits if an individual does not qualify. More analyses may be added as the Office of Research is able to produce them.
“As an agency, we are hopeful that this site will offer one more tool that our state and municipalities can use when adopting best practices as we look at re-opening our state,” Westby said.
The site also records claim counts noted in the tables may not match those from other sources because pandemic-related claims, which are being filed at historically unprecedented levels, resulted in a backlog that was initially up to five weeks. Those using data from the site are advised to check back on a regular basis since claim data for the most recent weeks will change as the backlog is addressed. Also, counts will not always match final initial claim counts because of duplications or disqualifying factors based on eligibility criteria.
The site also notes that unemployment claims represent only one component of the unemployed. Claims do not account for those not covered under the unemployment system, such as federal workers, railroad workers or religious workers, Connecticut residents who have lost their jobs in other states, or the unemployed self-employed.
