Today's USA Today has an article comparing jobless benefits by state.  The print edition of the article includes a table giving average weekly benefits, total weeks of benefits and percentage of jobless receiving benefits, by state.   (The online edition has the same information, but in a map where you have to mouse over each state.

The data comes from a leftwing group, which is using government statistics to compare the states.  I have not checked their data, so I will not guarantee that the numbers are accurate.  But the numbers are interesting enough so that I thought that I would bring them to you, for discussion, without commentary.

In sum, Washington state pays relatively high weekly benefits — an average of $355.33 — for relatively long periods of time — up to 72 weeks — to a relatively small proportion of the jobless — 36%.  Washington state's weekly benefits are the fifth highest, after Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Rhode Island.  Four states, California, North Carolina, Oregon and Rhode Island, now offer benefits for as long as 79 weeks.  (Those lengths are probably set by federal law rather than state policies.)  Twenty-two states give jobless benefits to even fewer of their unemployed than Washington does.  The lowest is South Dakota at 18%.

And the highest?  That's our neighbor to the east, Idaho, which pays jobless benefits to 61% of the unemployed.  Surprised?  I was.

(Note:  The printed table says that Washington state's maximum weeks of benefits is 72 weeks.   The map says 46 weeks.  The number in the table seems more plausible, so I have used that.  I did check the NELP site for their numbers.  They have some data from the end of last year, which looks compatible with the table, but off by one quarter.)