Category: unemployment benefits

US Unemployment Insurance Claims Hit Lowest Level in 2022, Job Creation ‘Strong’: Labor Department

The number of American citizens filing new claims for unemployment benefits declined to its lowest level for the year in the week ending Feb. 26, according to latest data from the U.S. Department of Labor. Seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims were at 215,000, a decline of 18,000 from 233,000 in the week ending Feb. 19,…


Audit: Michigan Paid $8 Billion in Improper Jobless Benefits During Pandemic

An independent audit of the performance of Michigan’s unemployment compensation system during the pandemic gave state officials some good news and some bad news. The audit estimated that the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) thwarted $44 billion in fraudulent unemployment claims but handed out an estimated $8 billion in improper benefits during the first 19…


Unemployment Claims Rise From Omicron, Experts Say It Is a Temporary Hike in Tight Job Market

Americans filing for unemployment benefits increased in the week ending Jan. 1, running contradictory to analyst expectations, and may be a precursor to the coming weeks where more workers are expected to get laid off with one of the main reasons being Omicron-related business continuity issues. “[T]he advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was…


San Diego Woman Sentenced for Unemployment Benefit Fraud Involving Inmates

SAN DIEGO—A San Diego woman, who used to be a contract employee with the state’s unemployment insurance program, has been sentenced Dec. 15 to just over two years in prison for her role in a scheme to take pandemic unemployment aid funds. Nyika Gomez, 41, who worked as a call center agent assisting people in processing their unemployment insurance…


Community Organisation Calls For More Support for Disadvantaged Job Hunters

Anglicare Australia has called for more support for job seekers with barriers to return to work while criticising the federal government’s JobSeeker program as a “failing” system. According to Anglicare, there are around 27 job seekers applying for the same entry-level job and people without qualifications or work experience are spending an average of five…


Household Income of Americans Fell in 2020 for First Time Since 2011: Census Bureau

The household income of Americans fell last year as COVID-19-related lockdowns wrought havoc on the economy, according to new figures from the Census Bureau. The median household income was $67,521 in 2020, a decrease of 2.9 percent from the 2019 median of $69,560 and the first significant decline since 2011, the Census said in its findings published Sept….


North Carolina Democrats Renew Push to Expand Unemployment Benefits

North Carolina Democrats are part of a group calling for a reform of the state’s unemployment system in the wake of federal pandemic unemployment benefits ending. Sen. Wiley Nickel, D-Wake, and advocates from the North Carolina State AFL-CIO and the North Carolina Budget and Tax Center urged the General Assembly on Monday to pass legislation…


NTD Business Full Broadcast (Sept. 6)

Two pandemic unemployment programs end, on Labor Day. Millions of Americans have lost benefits from the government. We talk to two retailers about their labor day sales and how the pandemic continues to pose challenges. And Amazon plans to roll out its own, Amazon-branded TV’s. It will be powered by Alexa, but one manufacturer is…


Unemployment Fraud Scrutinized Ahead of Debate Over Renewing Federal Benefits

Republicans in the U.S. House and Senate are demanding a federal investigation into unemployment benefits money lost to fraudsters, calling it the “greatest theft of American tax dollars in our nation’s history.” The members sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office, asking the federal oversight group to investigate the fraud and arguing structural issues…


Over 7 Million Americans Set to Lose Unemployment Benefits

Over seven million Americans are set to fall off a “benefits cliff” as the September deadline looms for an end to federal pandemic unemployment aid programs, with dim prospects for an extension in light of surging demand for labor. Created to help Americans weather the economic impact of the outbreak, the various programs are due…