evidence: Because of high numbers of UI claims during the pandemic, some states have held substantial federal loans to pay UI benefits.[105] As of December 31, 2021, nine states and one territory held federal loans totaling about $39.9 billion, which is two states less and approximately $5.4 billion less than we reported in October 2021.[106] Following guidance from Treasury, some states used Coronavirus Relief Fund payments to reduce or prevent federal loan balances.[107] In addition, states may use Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to restore their UI trust funds or to repay federal loan balances.[108] As of November 2021, interim reports for some states indicated that they planned to contribute some of these funds to their UI trust funds.[109] [...] During the pandemic, the number of regular UI continued claims submitted each week declined overall after the peak in late April and early May 2020 through December 2021 (see figure). Although some of the decline in regular UI claims was due to claimants’ finding employment, the decline was also likely due to other factors, such as claimants’ exhausting regular UI benefits and beginning to claim PEUC—prior to the program’s expiration in September 2021—or other benefits.