New Jersey recorded the highest rate of continued unemployment benefit claims in the United States during the week of July 4 to July 11, 2026, according to a new analysis of U.S. Department of Labor data.
The study by the AI productivity platform Plus measured continued claims against each state’s covered workforce to calculate rates per 100,000 workers. New Jersey posted 2,651 claims per 100,000 covered workers, or about 2.65 percent of its covered employment. That figure stands 158 percent higher than the national average of 1,027 claims per 100,000 workers.
Rhode Island ranked second with 2,335 claims per 100,000 workers, more than 127 percent above the national average. Massachusetts placed third at 2,150 claims per 100,000 workers, over 109 percent higher than the U.S. average.
Minnesota followed in fourth place with 2,105 claims, and Oregon ranked fifth at 2,044 claims per 100,000 covered workers. Completing the top 10 were Washington (1,954), California (1,906), New York (1,740), Nevada (1,703) and Pennsylvania (1,693).
Five of the top 10 states are in the Northeast: New Jersey, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania. Western states also featured prominently, with Oregon, Washington, California and Nevada appearing in the top 10.
When measured by total volume rather than rate, California led the nation with 342,747 continued claims. New York ranked second with 168,427 claims, followed by Texas (153,187), New Jersey (112,222) and Pennsylvania (101,093).
South Dakota posted the lowest rate in the country at 285 claims per 100,000 covered workers, 72 percent below the national average. Florida ranked second-lowest at 332 claims, and North Carolina placed third-lowest at 414 claims per 100,000 workers. Other Southern states, including Louisiana and Alabama, also recorded among the lowest rates.
Most states saw declines in claims compared with the same week in 2025. New Jersey’s claims fell 4.1 percent year over year, and Rhode Island’s dropped 11.8 percent. Massachusetts was one of eight states that recorded an increase, rising 1 percent. Oregon saw a 7.4 percent rise, the second-largest increase among the states examined.
Daniel Li, the CEO and co-founder of Plus, commented on the study:
“Interestingly, five of the top 10 states are located in the Northeast, with New Jersey, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania all battling a high number of unemployment benefit claims.
“Western states also feature prominently in the ranking, with Oregon, Washington, California, and Nevada all appearing in the top 10.
“The study also shows that unemployment is not spread evenly across the U.S. Many states that recorded the lowest rates of unemployment benefit claims are located in the South, such as Florida, North Carolina, Louisiana, and Alabama.
“It’s also interesting to see that the majority of states have recorded a decline in unemployment benefit claims since 2025, except for eight states.
“This shows that while unemployment benefit claims have generally experienced a gradual decline since 2025, this pattern is not consistent across the entirety of the U.S.
“For example, Oklahoma has experienced a 27.9% increase in claims since 2025, while North Dakota’s claims fell by 37.3%.”
The analysis used Department of Labor data on continued claims for the week ending July 11, 2026, scaled against each state’s covered workforce. Year-over-year comparisons used the corresponding week in July 2025.
