New Data Dashboard Published to Track Demographic Characteristics of People Seeking Unemployment Insurance Benefits

The North Carolina Department of Commerce launched a new data dashboard tool this week that will provide timely insights into the demographic characteristics of people applying for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. The dashboard offers aggregate data that maintains individual privacy while providing information into the industries, occupations, and demographics of those seeking UI assistance.

The new North Carolina Unemployment Insurance Claims Dashboard provides policymakers and other stakeholders important information to guide informed decision-making and support hurricane recovery efforts.

The dashboard, published online at analytics.nccommerce.com/NC-UI-Claims-Weekly, reports by week the number of people who file initial claims for unemployment benefits as well as continued weeks claimed (commonly called weekly certifications) under the regular state UI program. People qualifying for supplemental UI programs, such as the Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) program currently activated in 39 counties, are accounted for in the dashboard data as all DUA claimants first file a regular UI claim.

In addition to providing the industry and occupation where the claimant most recently worked, the dashboard offers a trend timeline to demonstrate changes in the number of claimants over the previous weeks and months. The dashboard provides data on a county-by-county basis as well as by the 20 regions defined by each of the state’s Workforce Development Boards. Data tables in the dashboard can be downloaded by researchers interested in performing further analysis on the data.

The new dashboard was developed by the Commerce Department’s Labor & Economic Analysis Division (LEAD) in conjunction with the Department’s Division of Employment Security (DES). The DES team administers the state’s unemployment insurance system. The LEAD team collects data, conducts research and analysis, and publishes reports about the state’s economy and labor market.

The North Carolina Department of Commerce serves as the state’s lead agency for economic, community, and workforce development, operating with a mission to improve the economic well-being and quality of life for all North Carolinians.

More information about the Department’s work and programs can be found online here.