UI Non-filer News Release 2018

For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Wednesday, September 25, 2019

USDL-19-1692

Technical information: (202) 691-6378 • [email protected] • www.bls.gov/cps
Media contact:
(202) 691-5902 • [email protected]
(NOTE: This news release was reissued on November 7, 2019, to correct errors in tables 1,
2, and 3 and in the text of the release. Tables 4 and 5 in this release were not affected by the
error. Detailed information is available on page 5.)

CHARACTERISTICS OF UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE APPLICANTS AND BENEFIT
RECIPIENTS — 2018
In 2018, about 1 in 4 (26 percent) of the unemployed who worked in the past 12 months had
applied for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported
today. Of the unemployed who had not applied, 3 out of 5 did not apply because they did not
believe they were eligible to receive UI benefits.
Only people who have previously worked are eligible for UI benefits, and they generally must
apply shortly after their last job. Therefore, estimates presented in this news release are restricted
to people who had worked at some point in the 12 months prior to the survey. In 2018, nearly
two-thirds of the unemployed had worked in the last 12 months. Other unemployed people,
including those who entered the labor force for the first time and those who last worked more
than a year ago, are excluded from these data.
This information was obtained in a supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS), a
monthly sample survey of about 60,000 households that provides data on employment and
unemployment in the United States. This supplement, which was conducted in May and
September 2018, was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Chief Evaluation Office.
Estimates in this news release—referred to as 2018 estimates—are averages of data collected in
both months. The official measure of unemployment from the CPS is based on job search and
current availability for employment, rather than on application for or receipt of UI benefits. A
more detailed description of the concepts and definitions used in the supplement is included in
the Technical Note in this news release.
Highlights from the 2018 data:
•

The majority—74 percent—of unemployed people who worked in the past 12 months had
not applied for UI benefits since their last job. Twenty-six percent of unemployed people
who worked in the past 12 months had applied for UI benefits. (See table 1.)

•

Unemployed people covered by a union contract on their last job were about twice as likely
to have applied for UI benefits as those who were not covered: 53 percent versus 24 percent.
(See table 2.)

•

Among unemployed people who had not applied for UI benefits, 59 percent did not apply
because they thought they were ineligible to receive benefits. Another 12 percent cited
attitudes about or barriers to applying, such as they did not need the money, they had a
negative attitude about UI, they did not know about UI, or they had problems with the
application process. (See table 3.)

•

Two-thirds of unemployed people who had applied for UI benefits since their last job
received benefits. (See table 1.)

Unemployment Insurance Applicants
In 2018, 26 percent of the unemployed who worked in the past 12 months had applied for UI
benefits since their last job. (See table 1.)
The likelihood of applying for UI benefits varied by reason for unemployment. Thirty-eight
percent of job losers and people who completed temporary jobs had applied for UI benefits since
their last job. The figure was lower for people with other reasons for unemployment: 10 percent
for job leavers and 9 percent for reentrants to the labor force who worked in the last year. (Job
leavers are unemployed people who left their jobs voluntarily, and reentrants are unemployed
people who have past work experience but were not in the labor force before beginning their
current job search.)
People with longer durations of unemployment were more likely to apply for UI benefits than
were people with shorter durations of joblessness. For example, 38 percent of people looking for
work for 15 to 26 weeks and 37 percent of those looking for 27 weeks and over had applied for
UI benefits, compared with 27 percent of those looking for work for 5 to 14 weeks. Those
unemployed for less than 5 weeks were the least likely to apply for UI benefits, at 17 percent.
Unemployed men were more likely than unemployed women to have applied for UI benefits (27
percent, compared with 23 percent). There was little difference in the likelihood of applying for
benefits by race or Hispanic ethnicity.
The likelihood of applying for UI benefits increased with age. About 7 percent of unemployed
people ages 16 to 24 had applied since their last job, compared with 32 percent of those ages 25
to 54 and 37 percent of those 55 years and over.
In general, unemployed people with higher educational attainment were more likely to have
applied for UI benefits than were those with lower educational attainment. Among unemployed
people age 25 and older, 40 percent of those with a bachelor’s degree and higher had applied for
UI benefits. By contrast, 22 percent of those with less than a high school diploma had applied.

-2-

Unemployed people with a professional certification or license, who tend to have greater
educational attainment, were more likely to have applied for UI benefits than those without such
a credential (33 percent, compared with 24 percent).
People last employed in management, professional, and related occupations were the most likely
to have applied for UI benefits (38 percent), compared with people in other major occupational
groups. Those last employed in service occupations were the least likely to have applied (15
percent). (See table 2.)
By industry, unemployed people who last worked in leisure and hospitality (12 percent) and in
other services (10 percent) were least likely to have applied for UI benefits. In other industries,
the likelihood of applying ranged from 46 percent for financial activities to 23 percent for
wholesale and retail trade.
Unemployed people who were covered by a union contract on their last job were about twice as
likely to have applied for UI benefits, 53 percent compared with 24 percent of those who were
not covered.
Reason for Not Applying for Unemployment Insurance Benefits
Of the unemployed in 2018 who worked in the last 12 months but did not apply for UI benefits,
59 percent did not apply because they believed they were ineligible. Eligibility issues include:
their work was not covered by UI, they quit their job, they were terminated for misconduct, they
had insufficient past work, and they had previously exhausted their benefits. (See table 3.)
Twelve percent of unemployed people who had not applied for UI benefits had not done so
because of attitudes about or barriers to applying—for example, they did not need the money or
want the hassle, they had a negative attitude about UI, they did not know about UI or did not
know how to apply, or they had problems with the application process.
Another 25 percent of unemployed people who had not applied for UI benefits reported other
reasons, such as they expected to start work soon, they did not apply for personal reasons, or they
planned to file for benefits soon.
About 5 percent of unemployed people who had not applied for UI benefits did not provide a
reason for not applying.
Unemployment Insurance Benefit Recipients
In 2018, 66 percent of unemployed people who had applied for UI benefits since their last job
received benefits. (See table 1.)
Among unemployed applicants, 69 percent of job losers and people who completed temporary
jobs received benefits. This was higher than the figure of 55 percent for reentrants to the labor
force.

-3-

Applicants who were unemployed less than 5 weeks were less likely to receive benefits (42
percent) than were those with longer durations of joblessness. For example, 78 percent of
applicants unemployed for 27 weeks and over had received benefits.
Men and women who applied for UI benefits were about equally likely to have received benefits
(66 percent and 65 percent, respectively). There was little difference in the likelihood of
receiving benefits by race or Hispanic ethnicity.
Older applicants were more likely than younger applicants to have received UI benefits since
their last job. Seventy-eight percent of applicants age 55 and older had received UI benefits,
compared with 64 percent of applicants ages 25 to 54.
The majority of applicants age 25 and older had received benefits, regardless of their educational
attainment. For example, about two-thirds of high school graduates (with no college) received
benefits since their last job.
Seventy-one percent of applicants with a certification or license had received UI benefits, little
different from the 65 percent of those without a certification or license.
The percentage of applicants who had received benefits ranged from 54 percent for those who
last worked in production, transportation, and material moving occupations to 71 percent for
those in natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations. (See table 2.)
Applicants who were covered by a union contract in their last job were more likely to have
received UI benefits. About four-fifths (82 percent) of applicants who were covered by a union
contract had received benefits since their last job, compared with roughly two-thirds (64 percent)
of applicants who were not covered.
People Marginally Attached to the Labor Force
Some individuals may be eligible for UI benefits even though they were not classified as
unemployed in the survey. In 2018, 17 percent of people marginally attached to the labor force
had applied for UI benefits since their last job. (These estimates are restricted to people who had
worked in the past 12 months.) (See table 4.)
People marginally attached to the labor force are those who are neither employed nor
unemployed, who want a job, have searched for work during the prior 12 months (but not in the
last 4 weeks), and were available to take a job. If they had looked for work in the last 4 weeks,
they would be counted as unemployed.
More than half (54 percent) of people marginally attached to the labor force had not applied for
UI benefits since their last job because they believed they were ineligible to receive benefits.
Another 14 percent had not applied due to attitudes about or barriers to applying for UI benefits,
and 23 percent had not applied for UI benefits for other reasons. Nine percent of people
marginally attached to the labor force who had not applied for UI benefits did not provide a
reason for not applying. (See table 5.)
-4-

Data Corrections
This news release, originally issued on September 25, 2019, contained errors in tables 1, 2, and 3
and in the text of the release. The estimates in the original news release were not correctly
restricted to unemployed people who worked in the last 12 months, but also included
unemployed people who had worked more than 12 months ago.
Estimates in this reissued news release have been restricted to unemployed people who worked
in the past 12 months. After this correction, the number of unemployed people who had worked
in the past 12 months was 3.7 million, rather than 5.3 million as originally published. The
corrected number of unemployed who had applied for UI benefits was 947,000, instead of 1.2
million as originally published.
Although estimates of numbers of the unemployed and the numbers of UI applicants changed
considerably, most percentages derived from those levels showed little meaningful difference,
and the key analytical findings in this news release were largely unaffected. The corrected
proportion of unemployed people who applied for UI benefits was 26 percent for those who
worked in the past 12 months, compared with 23 percent as originally published. The share of
the unemployed who applied for UI benefits remained roughly 1 in 4.
Estimates of people marginally attached to the labor force, including all data in tables 4 and 5,
were unaffected by the error.

-5-

Technical Note
The data presented in this news release were collected
through a supplement to the May and September 2018
Current Population Survey (CPS). The CPS is a
monthly survey of about 60,000 eligible households
that provides data on employment and unemployment
for the nation’s civilian noninstitutional population
age 16 and over. The CPS is conducted by the U.S.
Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics
(BLS).
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Chief Evaluation
Office sponsored the collection of the May and
September 2018 supplement to obtain information
about the number and characteristics of those who do
and do not file for unemployment insurance (UI)
benefits, as well as information on those who receive
benefits. These data provide information not available
from the UI program administrative data or the
monthly CPS.
One of the most persistent misconceptions about the
CPS unemployment measure is that it is based on the
number of people who apply for or receive UI benefits.
However, data on UI program participation cannot be
used to determine unemployment because the CPS
concept includes people who are not eligible for
benefits, who have exhausted their benefits, and who
do not apply for benefits. The monthly CPS does not
include questions about UI participation.
Only people who have previously worked are eligible
for UI benefits, and they generally must apply shortly
after their last job. Therefore, estimates presented in
this news release are restricted to people who had
worked at some point in the 12 months prior to the
survey. In 2018, nearly two-thirds of the unemployed
had worked in the last 12 months. Other unemployed
people, including those who entered the labor force for
the first time and those who last worked more than a
year ago, are excluded from this news release.
The estimates in this release—referred to as 2018
estimates—are averages of data collected in May and
September 2018. Data are weighted to produce
nationally representative estimates. The supplement
weights are controlled to population estimates that are
averaged over the 2 months.
Information in this news release will be made
available to sensory-impaired individuals upon
request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay
Service: (800) 877-8339.

Definitions
The principle definitions used in this news release are
described below. Additional information about CPS
concepts and definitions is available on the BLS
website at www.bls.gov/cps/definitions.htm.
Unemployed who worked in the past 12 months. In the
CPS, people are classified as unemployed if they were
not employed during the survey reference week; were
available for work during the survey reference week
(except for temporary illness); and had made at least
one specific, active effort to find employment
sometime during the 4-week period ending with the
survey reference week. People who were waiting to be
recalled to a job from which they had been laid off
need not have been looking for work to be classified
as unemployed.
Data in this news release exclude unemployed people
with no previous work experience and those who last
worked more than 12 months prior to the survey.
However, all unemployed persons expecting to be
recalled from temporary layoff are included,
regardless of whether they worked in the 12 months
prior to the survey.
Marginally attached to the labor force who worked in
the past 12 months. People marginally attached to the
labor force are those who are neither employed nor
unemployed, who want a job, have searched for work
during the prior 12 months, and were available to take
a job during the survey reference week, but had not
looked for work in the 4-week period ending with the
survey reference week. If they had looked for work in
the 4-week period, they would be counted as
unemployed.
Data in this news release on people marginally
attached to the labor force refer to those who worked
in the past 12 months, a subset of total marginally
attached.
Unemployment Insurance (UI). The federal-state UI
program provides unemployment benefits to eligible
workers (as determined under state law). The UI
payments (benefits) are intended to provide temporary
financial assistance to unemployed workers. Each
state administers a separate UI program within
guidelines established by federal law. Eligibility for
UI benefit amounts and the length of time benefits are
available are determined by the state law under which
UI claims are established. For more information about

state
UI
programs,
visit
https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/uifactsheet.asp.
UI benefit applicants. In the CPS, UI applicants are
people who applied for UI benefits since their last job.
Whether a person applied for UI benefits was
determined through answers to the question: “Have
you applied for unemployment benefits since your last
job?” Data in this news release refer to unemployed
individuals and people marginally attached to the labor
force who had worked in the past 12 months.
UI benefit recipients. In the CPS, these individuals are
UI applicants who received UI benefits since their last
job. This information was obtained from the following
question: “Have you received any unemployment
benefits since your last job?” This question was asked
of people who had applied for UI benefits since their
last job. Data in this news release refer to
unemployed individuals and people marginally
attached to the labor force who had worked in the
past 12 months.
Union coverage on last job. Data in this news release
refer both to union members and to those who were
covered by a union contract on their last job. Union
coverage on the last job is based on the question:
“Were you a union member or covered by a union
contract on your last job?”
Main reason for not applying for UI benefits. This
information is based on responses to the question:
“There are a variety of reasons why people might not
apply for unemployment benefits. What are the
reasons you have not applied for unemployment
benefits since your last job?” Interviewers could
record more than one reason. If respondents provided
more than one reason, interviewers asked which was
their main reason.
Comparability of the estimates
Previous supplements collected data on UI applicants
and benefit recipients in 2005, 1993, 1989, and 1976.
The 2018 supplement questions used to identify UI
applicants and benefit recipients were similar to the
2005 supplement but were different from questions
used in earlier years.
The 2018 estimates are not strictly comparable with
those from prior years. Changes in survey methods
affect the comparability of estimates over time. For
example, the questions were not the same in all
supplements. Also, collection periods differed across
supplements, and the supplements were not always
administered to all CPS respondents. For example, the
2018 supplement was collected in 2 nonconsecutive

months (May and September) from the full CPS
sample. The supplements for 2005, 1993, and 1989
were collected in 4 different months, and the questions
were asked of about one-fourth of the CPS sample (the
outgoing rotations). (Specifically, the 2005
supplement data were collected in January, May, July,
and November; the 1993 supplement was
administered in February, June, August, and
November; and the 1989 supplement was conducted in
May, August, and November 1989 and in February
1990.) The 1976 supplement was administered to the
full sample in May 1976.
Other factors should also be considered when
analyzing the data. Different points in the business
cycle, changes in state UI laws, and the seasonal nature
of applying for UI benefits can further complicate
comparisons of data over time. For example, the
unemployment rate in 2018 was relatively low by
historical standards, which may impact the number
and characteristics of people who apply for UI
benefits.
Reliability of the estimates
Statistics based on the CPS are subject to both
sampling and nonsampling error. When a sample,
rather than the entire population, is surveyed, there is
a chance that the sample estimates may differ from the
true population values they represent. The component
of this difference that occurs because samples differ by
chance is known as sampling error, and its variability
is measured by the standard error of the estimate.
There is about a 90-percent chance, or level of
confidence, that an estimate based on a sample will
differ by no more than 1.6 standard errors from the true
population value because of sampling error. BLS
analyses are generally conducted at the 90-percent
level of confidence.
The CPS data also are affected by nonsampling error.
Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons,
including the failure to sample a segment of the
population, inability to obtain information for all
respondents in the sample, inability or unwillingness
of respondents to provide correct information, and
errors made in the collection or processing of the data.
General information about the reliability of data from
the
CPS
is
available
at
www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#reliability.

Table 1. Unemployment insurance (UI) benefit applicants and recipients among unemployed persons who had worked in the past 12
months by selected characteristics, 2018
[Numbers in thousands]
UI benefit applicants

Characteristic

Unemployed who
worked in the
past 12 months¹

UI benefit recipients
Total

Percent of
unemployed

Total

Percent of
UI benefit
applicants

Did not
apply for UI
benefits

Percent of
unemployed

Age
Total, 16 years and over
16 to 24 years
25 to 54 years
55 years and over

3,711
1,053
2,070
587

947
71
657
219

25.5
6.8
31.7
37.2

623
34
418
171

65.8
63.6
78.3

16.8
3.2
20.2
29.2

2,727
977
1,386
363

Men
Women

2,046
1,665

559
388

27.3
23.3

370
253

66.2
65.1

18.1
15.2

1,466
1,261

Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
White
Black or African American
Asian
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

2,635
704
158
821

701
166
36
196

26.6
23.5
22.6
23.8

476
100
18
116

67.9
60.5
59.1

18.1
14.2
11.5
14.1

1,909
536
120
618

239
3,472

61
887

25.4
25.5

41
582

65.6

17.3
16.8

177
2,549

Foreign born
Native born

511
3,200

138
809

27.0
25.3

89
534

64.7
65.9

17.5
16.7

367
2,359

Reason for unemployment
Job losers and persons who completed temporary jobs
Job leavers
Reentrants

2,109
708
893

801
69
78

38.0
9.7
8.7

555
25
43

69.4
54.8

26.3
3.5
4.8

1,291
631
805

Duration of unemployment
Less than 5 weeks
5 to 14 weeks
15 to 26 weeks
27 weeks and over

1,579
1,114
652
366

261
302
248
136

16.5
27.1
38.1
37.1

109
209
199
106

41.7
69.2
80.0
78.4

6.9
18.8
30.5
29.0

1,310
805
390
222

Certification and licensing status
With a certification or license
Without a certification or license

505
3,205

165
783

32.6
24.4

117
506

70.8
64.7

23.1
15.8

339
2,388

Educational attainment
Total, 25 years and over
Less than a high school diploma
High school graduates, no college²
Some college or associate degree
Bachelor's degree and higher3

2,657
321
859
766
711

876
69
255
271
281

33.0
21.5
29.7
35.3
39.6

589
36
169
174
211

67.3
66.1
64.3
74.9

22.2
11.1
19.6
22.7
29.6

1,749
252
587
486
424

Sex

Disability status
With a disability
With no disability
Foreign born status

1

Includes a relatively small number of persons who did not provide information about applying for UI benefits, not shown separately.
Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.
Includes persons with bachelor's, master's, professional, and doctoral degrees.
NOTE: Estimates are an average of data collected in May and September 2018. Data exclude unemployed persons with no previous work experience and
those who last worked more than 12 months prior to the survey. However, all unemployed persons expecting to be recalled from temporary layoff are included,
regardless of whether they worked in the 12 months prior to the survey. Estimates for the above race groups (White, Black or African American, and Asian) do
not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Dash indicates no
data or data that do not meet publication criteria (values not shown where base is less than 75,000).
2
3

Table 2. Unemployment insurance (UI) benefit applicants and recipients among unemployed persons who had worked in the past
12 months by characteristics of last job, 2018
[Numbers in thousands]
UI benefit applicants

Characteristic

Unemployed
who worked
in the past
12 months¹

UI benefit recipients
Total

Percent of
unemployed

Total

Percent of
UI benefit
applicants

Did not
apply for UI
benefits

Percent of
unemployed

Total, 16 years and over

3,711

947

25.5

623

65.8

16.8

2,727

Union status on last job²
Union member or represented by a union
Nonunion

172
3,464

91
837

52.7
24.2

74
536

81.7
64.1

43.0
15.5

81
2,610

Occupation of last job³
Management, professional, and related occupation
Management, business, and financial operations occupations
Professional and related occupations
Service occupations
Sales and office occupations
Sales and related occupations
Office and administrative support occupations
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations
Construction and extraction occupations
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations
Production occupations
Transportation and material moving occupations

795
318
477
843
906
497
409
479
60
335
84
672
284
388

299
155
144
128
223
91
132
142
14
108
20
154
68
86

37.6
48.8
30.1
15.2
24.6
18.3
32.4
29.6
32.1
24.2
22.9
23.8
22.2

205
107
97
85
149
64
85
101
6
81
13
84
36
48

68.5
69.1
67.9
66.7
66.6
70.5
63.9
71.0
75.7
54.3
55.2

25.7
33.7
20.4
10.1
16.4
12.9
20.7
21.0
24.3
15.9
12.4
12.7
12.3

484
159
325
703
676
404
271
334
46
226
62
516
214
301

Industry of last job³
Agriculture and related industries
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
Construction
Manufacturing
Wholesale and retail trade
Transportation and utilities
Information
Financial activities
Professional and business services
Education and health services
Leisure and hospitality
Other services
Public administration

90
16
370
386
664
165
66
160
474
520
565
144
74

33
7
113
121
152
40
23
73
129
148
69
15
22

36.2
30.4
31.4
22.9
24.4
45.6
27.3
28.5
12.3
10.3
-

18
4
87
84
98
16
19
55
77
102
44
7
12

76.8
69.1
64.3
59.8
69.0
-

20.0
23.4
21.7
14.7
9.7
34.4
16.3
19.7
7.8
4.8
-

57
9
257
258
507
122
43
83
344
361
490
129
52

1

Includes a relatively small number of persons who did not provide information about applying for UI benefits, not shown separately.
Refers to union members and those covered by a union contract on their last job. Data do not sum to total because some individuals did not respond to the
question about union membership.
3
Persons whose last job was in the U.S. Armed Forces are included in the unemployed total, but not shown separately.
NOTE: Estimates are an average of data collected in May and September 2018. Data exclude unemployed persons with no previous work experience and
those who last worked more than 12 months prior to the survey. However, all unemployed persons expecting to be recalled from temporary layoff are included,
regardless of whether they worked in the 12 months prior to the survey. Dash indicates no data or data that do not meet publication criteria (values not shown
where base is less than 75,000).
2

Table 3. Main reason for not applying for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits among
unemployed persons who had worked in the past 12 months, 2018
[Numbers in thousands]
Unemployed persons¹ who did
not apply for UI benefits

Main reason for not applying for UI benefits
Percent
distribution

Total

Total, 16 years and over

2,727

100.0

1,611
884
496
18
213

59.1
32.4
18.2
0.7
7.8

Attitude about or barrier to applying for UI benefits
Do not need the money or do not want the hassle
Negative attitude about UI
Do not know about UI or do not know how to apply
Problems with application process

314
176
39
79
19

11.5
6.5
1.4
2.9
0.7

Other reasons for not applying for UI benefits
Expect to start working soon
Did not apply for personal reasons
Plan to file soon
All other reasons

676
355
91
86
143

24.8
13.0
3.4
3.2
5.2

Reason not provided

126

4.6

Eligibility issues
Job separation type (quit, misconduct, etc.) or work not covered by UI
Insufficient past work
Previous exhaustion of benefits
Any other reason concerning eligibility

1

Data exclude unemployed persons with no previous work experience and those who last worked more than 12
months prior to the survey. However, all unemployed persons expecting to be recalled from temporary layoff are
included, regardless of whether they worked in the 12 months prior to the survey.
NOTE: Estimates are an average of data collected in May and September 2018. Dash indicates no data or data
that do not meet publication criteria (values not shown where base is less than 75,000).

Table 4. Unemployment insurance (UI) benefit applicants and recipients among persons marginally attached to the labor force
who had worked in the past 12 months by selected characteristics, 2018
[Numbers in thousands]
UI benefit applicants

Characteristic

Age
Total, 16 years and over
16 to 24 years
25 to 54 years
55 years and over

Marginally
attached to the
labor force who
worked in the
past 12 months¹

UI benefit recipients
Percent of
marginally
attached

Total

Percent of
marginally
attached

Total

Did not apply
for UI
benefits

477
144
246
87

81
11
48
23

17.0
7.7
19.4
25.8

45
5
28
12

9.5
3.2
11.6
14.1

387
128
194
65

Men
Women

262
215

40
41

15.4
19.0

28
18

10.5
8.3

218
169

Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
White
Black or African American
Asian
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

324
98
23
70

60
12
7
9

18.5
12.2
-

39
5
8

12.0
-

261
82
13
61

Educational attainment
Total, 25 years and over
Less than a high school diploma
High school graduates, no college2
Some college or associate degree
Bachelor's degree and higher3

333
40
125
92
76

70
10
23
17
21

21.1
18.5
18.0
27.3

41
10
15
2
14

12.3
11.7
2.2
19.0

258
30
98
75
55

Sex

1

Includes a relatively small number of persons who did not provide information about applying for UI benefits, not shown separately.
Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.
Includes persons with bachelor's, master's, professional, and doctoral degrees.
NOTE: Estimates are an average of data collected in May and September 2018. Persons marginally attached to the labor force are those who are neither
employed nor unemployed, who want a job, have searched for work during the prior 12 months, and were available to take a job during the reference week,
but had not looked for work in the 4 weeks prior to the survey. All data in this table refer to the subset of persons marginally attached to the labor force who
have worked in the past 12 months. Estimates for the above race groups (White, Black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data
are not presented for all races. Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Dash indicates no data or data that do not
meet publication criteria (values not shown where base is less than 75,000).
2
3

Table 5. Main reason for not applying for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits among
persons marginally attached to the labor force who had worked in the past 12 months, 2018
[Numbers in thousands]
Marginally attached¹ who did not
apply for UI benefits

Main reason for not applying for UI benefits
Percent
distribution

Total

Total, 16 years and over

387

100.0

209
129
51
5
24

54.2
33.4
13.1
1.3
6.3

Attitude about or barrier to applying for UI benefits
Do not need the money or do not want the hassle
Negative attitude about UI
Do not know about UI or do not know how to apply
Problems with application process

55
25
6
14
10

14.2
6.5
1.6
3.5
2.5

Other reasons for not applying for UI benefits
Expect to start working soon
Did not apply for personal reasons
Plan to file soon
All other reasons

88
24
22
16
26

22.7
6.1
5.6
4.2
6.8

Reason not provided

35

8.9

Eligibility issues
Job separation type (quit, misconduct, etc.) or work not covered by UI
Insufficient past work
Previous exhaustion of benefits
Any other reason concerning eligibility

1

Data refer to the subset of persons marginally attached to the labor force who have worked in the past 12
months. (Persons marginally attached to the labor force are those who are neither employed nor unemployed,
who want a job, have searched for work during the prior 12 months, and were available to take a job during the
reference week, but had not looked for work in the 4 weeks prior to the survey.)
NOTE: Estimates are an average of data collected in May and September 2018. Dash indicates no data or data
that do not meet publication criteria (values not shown where base is less than 75,000).