Illinois' unemployment claims skyrocketed 710.11% between mid-March of 2020 through the first full week of 2021, according to WalletHub.
Compared to the same period a year earlier, Illinois had the 30th highest number of jobless claims among the 50 states and the District of Columbia
The state ranked fifth highest based on a recent number of weekly unemployment claims.
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States With Biggest Spikes in Jobless Claims
| State | Increased Most Using Most Recent Data | Increased Most Since Start of COVID-19 Crisis | Change in Jobless Claims (Week of Jan. 4, 2021, Compared to First Week of 2019) | Change in Unemployment Claims (Week of Jan. 4, 2021, Compared to First Week of 2020) | Change in Unemployment Claims (Since Start of COVID-19 Crisis vs. Same Period One Year Earlier) |
| Kansas | 1 | 5 | 2996.12% | 3220.01% | 1261.64% |
| New Mexico | 2 | 13 | 782.51% | 1737.92% | 952.67% |
| Florida | 3 | 2 | 646.01% | 1533.69% | 1683.09% |
| Louisiana | 4 | 4 | 686.90% | 1124.49% | 1400.65% |
| Illinois | 5 | 30 | 669.58% | 720.67% | 710.11% |
| Virginia | 6 | 6 | 550.52% | 875.38% | 1239.87% |
| Mississippi | 7 | 11 | 522.35% | 687.18% | 1032.18% |
| Tennessee | 8 | 14 | 463.85% | 612.68% | 874.13% |
| Colorado | 9 | 12 | 418.26% | 555.99% | 972.23% |
| Arizona | 10 | 37 | 304.12% | 507.85% | 605.65% |
| Maryland | 11 | 21 | 311.70% | 447.66% | 788.25% |
| Rhode Island | 12 | 35 | 356.94% | 289.05% | 642.93% |
| Nebraska | 13 | 24 | 314.30% | 369.34% | 761.19% |
| Indiana | 14 | 8 | 289.08% | 324.27% | 1141.82% |
| New Hampshire | 14 | 3 | 279.58% | 344.49% | 1423.08% |
| California | 16 | 33 | 239.27% | 394.49% | 671.78% |
| Nevada | 17 | 18 | 243.90% | 351.90% | 812.25% |
| Delaware | 18 | 34 | 234.30% | 306.51% | 656.15% |
| Texas | 19 | 29 | 194.11% | 387.35% | 710.30% |
| Ohio | 20 | 28 | 254.32% | 234.85% | 717.54% |
| Massachusetts | 21 | 25 | 249.23% | 228.78% | 753.97% |
| North Carolina | 22 | 9 | 196.75% | 313.65% | 1125.97% |
| Alabama | 23 | 15 | 203.53% | 178.57% | 854.24% |
| Washington | 24 | 22 | 203.47% | 176.77% | 773.16% |
| Alaska | 25 | 31 | 131.30% | 325.59% | 699.46% |
| Hawaii | 26 | 17 | 196.22% | 179.18% | 840.07% |
| Minnesota | 27 | 26 | 202.19% | 139.96% | 751.68% |
| New York | 28 | 32 | 234.50% | 61.61% | 683.87% |
| Georgia | 29 | 1 | 178.94% | 114.93% | 1793.44% |
| Vermont | 30 | 46 | 155.79% | 153.53% | 475.87% |
| Wisconsin | 31 | 42 | 182.06% | 75.31% | 522.53% |
| Utah | 32 | 39 | 120.66% | 163.11% | 582.41% |
| Oklahoma | 33 | 7 | 131.10% | 102.51% | 1185.19% |
| Arkansas | 34 | 41 | 118.26% | 116.23% | 566.73% |
| Maine | 35 | 16 | 117.53% | 114.13% | 853.96% |
| Oregon | 36 | 51 | 113.00% | 88.61% | 422.73% |
| North Dakota | 37 | 40 | 70.81% | 151.32% | 577.25% |
| District of Columbia | 38 | 20 | -0.97% | 304.37% | 795.45% |
| South Dakota | 39 | 23 | 65.15% | 127.39% | 771.56% |
| Montana | 40 | 45 | 73.86% | 99.36% | 494.60% |
| Missouri | 41 | 36 | 87.17% | 52.44% | 616.47% |
| Iowa | 42 | 50 | 73.79% | 66.55% | 433.73% |
| Connecticut | 43 | 49 | 83.96% | 31.15% | 444.16% |
| Wyoming | 44 | 48 | 57.51% | 83.69% | 458.22% |
| Pennsylvania | 45 | 44 | 71.46% | 49.31% | 495.20% |
| Idaho | 46 | 38 | 71.69% | 47.07% | 598.71% |
| South Carolina | 47 | 19 | 77.64% | 15.58% | 799.31% |
| Michigan | 48 | 27 | 46.21% | 78.34% | 734.25% |
| West Virginia | 49 | 43 | 21.89% | 116.43% | 514.65% |
| New Jersey | 50 | 47 | 45.68% | 34.67% | 463.38% |
| Kentucky | 51 | 10 | -1.10% | 116.79% | 1123.23% |
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