New unemployment claims increased week-over-week on May 29 in the face of high inflation and the threat of a recession, up 12% from the previous week. This is the highest level for initial claims since October 30, 2021. To help add some context to this statistic, WalletHub just released updated rankings for theStates Where Unemployment Claims Are Increasing the Most. 

Key Stats:

• While there was an increase in weekly claims nationally, 18 states (including Vermont, Massachusetts, and Oklahoma) had unemployment claims last week that were better than the same week last year.
   
• The following states had unemployment claims last week that were higher than in the previous week: Nebraska, Virginia, Kansas, West Virginia, Nevada, Illinois, Hawaii, Louisiana, Montana, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Delaware, California, New Mexico, Iowa, Kentucky, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Ohio and Minnesota
   
• The following states had unemployment claims last week that were higher than in the same week pre-pandemic (2019): Tennessee, Michigan, Virginia, New York, New Jersey, Georgia, Oregon, North Carolina, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, California, Idaho, Indiana, Texas, Colorado, Connecticut, Minnesota and Ohio. 

To view the full report and your state’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/states-unemployment-claims/72730