The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in substantial changes in the receipt of Unemployment Compensation (UC) benefits. However, these known changes were generally not reflected in the reported 2021 SIPP data.

The monthly UC receipt and amounts variables for regular, state-provided UC (EUC1MNYN and TUC1AMT, respectively) do not fully capture known changes in receipt or amounts at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, SIPP did not capture the sharp increase in UC participation in the spring of 2020 that is present in aggregate administrative records from the Department of Labor. Additionally, UC amounts reported in 2021 SIPP do not always reflect the extra $600 per week that was provided by the federal government to UC recipients in the months April, May, June, and July.

Data users should be aware of this when doing COVID-19 analyses of UC at the monthly level or analyses using UC amounts.