Last month, California saw an eye-popping 342,747 applications for ongoing unemployment benefits in just one week, which is more than double the next highest state. This trend was highlighted in a recent report.
When analyzing data from the U.S. Department of Labor, it was clear that California outpaced other leading states significantly. For instance, New York recorded 168,427 claims, while Texas had 153,187.
In fact, California had 1,905.6 continued unemployment benefit applications per 100,000 workers who are covered by the unemployment insurance system from July 4 to July 11. This puts the state seventh in the country based on the overall application rate.
This rate is almost 86% higher than the national average of 1,027 claims per 100,000 workers. However, when adjusting for the size of the workforce, California falls behind states like New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.
The analysis, carried out by Plus, an AI productivity platform, used federal Department of Labor data to evaluate the number of continuing claims against each state’s covered workforce.
Continuing unemployment claims generally refer to individuals who are still receiving benefits after their initial claim, giving an idea of the ongoing activity in the unemployment benefits sector.
California’s totals are partly because of its large workforce, but it’s still notable that the state ranks well when adjustments are made for the size of the affected workforce.
Daniel Lee, co-founder and CEO of Plus, pointed out how unemployment pressures differ around the country. He noted, “This study highlights the fact that all but eight states have recorded declines in unemployment claims since 2025.”
It’s important to understand that while California has the largest number of continuing claims overall, smaller states may show higher rates when factoring in employee numbers.
For example, New Jersey had the highest rate in the nation, with 2,650.6 claims per 100,000 covered workers, translating roughly to 2.65% of its workforce. This figure is about 158% above the national average, although New Jersey’s total continuing claims were just 112,222, significantly lower than California’s.
Rhode Island and Massachusetts followed close behind, with 2,334.5 and 2,150.1 claims per 100,000 respectively.
On the flip side, South Dakota held the lowest rate in the country, with only 284.9 continued claims per 100,000 eligible workers, making it about 72% below the national average. Florida and North Carolina followed with rates of 331.8 and 413.5, respectively.
