How COVID-19 is Impacting Our Workforce: Total Unemployment Claims by Age, Gender and Sector

Losing a job is hard enough, but losing a job during a crisis can lead to even more devastation. As unemployment shakes the state, the data shows that its impact varies based on age, gender, and sector. We created the charts below to illustrate which groups have been most affected by unemployment in Connecticut. Read more for a visual summary of unemployment claims data by age, gender, and industry sector provided by the CT Department of Labor for the weeks of March 15th and 22nd.

In the first two weeks of March, unemployment was higher among women, residents ages 20-29, and those working in accommodation and food services.

201520162017201820192020010,00020,00030,00040,00050,00060,00070,00080,000Weekly Initial Claims for UnemploymentBenefits in ConnecticutData by CT Department of Labor, chart by CTData Collaborative.77,604claims were madeduring the week of03/15,64,063claims during theweek of03/22
0%1%2%3%4%5%6%7%8%Under 2020 to 2930 to 3940 to 4950 to 5960 to 6970 to 79Younger People Were More Likely to Apply for Unemployment BenefitsPercentage of population making an initial claim for unemployment benefits, by age group.Data by CT Department of Labor, population data from ACS 2018 by US Census.Chart by CTData Collaborative8.0% of 20-29 year-oldmade an initial claim
Female60.3%(85,371)Male39.7%(56,280)60.3% of First-Time Claimers were WomenTwo-week data (03/15 and 03/22) by CT Department of LaborChart by CTData Collaborative
0510152025UtilitiesPublic AdministrationFinance & InsuranceManagement of CompaniesProf. & Tech. ServicesInformationManufacturingReal EstateWholesale TradeTransp. & WarehousingAdmin. & Support Svces.ConstructionHealth Care & Soc AssistanceRetail TradeEducational ServicesOther ServicesArts, Ent., & RecreationAccommodation & Food Services0.4% (20)0.6% (1,558)0.8% (801)1.2% (398)3.0% (2,943)3.2% (1,020)3.7% (6,040)4.6% (956)5.0% (2,898)5.9% (3,303)5.9% (5,080)7.2% (3,959)7.4% (20,212)10.2% (17,281)12.9% (9,491)17.0% (10,861)19.9% (4,468)26.8% (33,380)Percentage of initial unemployment benefit claims during two weeks in March (03/15and 03/22) by total employment in the industry (as of Feb 2020). Construction includesMining/Quarrying. Data by CT Department of Labor, chart by CTData Collaborative.Accommodation and Food Services Industry is Experiencingthe Highest Level of Covid-19 Unemployment

Check back on our blog for more news about the data surrounding COVID-19 and what it means for our communities. To learn more about COVID-19’s impact on Connecticut, read our blog post about the drop in new business registrations and explore our COVID-19 dashboard which includes case tracking, rates by town and county, demographics, and economic impact. Sign up for our newsletters and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook to be the first to know about any data updates!

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