The California Unemployment Insurance Fund will be over $24B in debt this year

California unemployment insurance - Debit - calculator - budget

The COVID-19 pandemic caused job losses causing the state to fall deep in debt to the federal government. The California Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) has racked up a substantial debt to the federal government in its efforts to support residents who lost their jobs throughout the pandemic. The revised 2021-22 budget published by Governor Gavin Newsom made reference to the debt. A paragraph in the revised budget on page 180 pointed to the challenge the state now faces regarding its California unemployment insurance fund’s debt. To support Californians who lost…

Read More

Adequate unemployment insurance extension increases odds of finding “better jobs”

Unemployment insurance extension - Person leaping

A new study found that given more time, people are more likely to find employment suited to qualifications. Unemployed workers are more likely to find “better” jobs to suit their qualifications with an unemployment insurance extension, say new study results. This research indicates the opposite effect suggested in arguments made by Republican leaders. The Congressional debates over the next coronavirus stimulus package include the type of unemployment insurance extension that will be employed. Republican leaders have been cautioning against the added $600 per week in federal benefits for those who…

Read More

New York Uber and Lyft drivers win battle for unemployment insurance benefits

Unemployment insurance benefits - Uber and Lyft drivers

The ride hailing drivers sued the state in May and a federal judge has now ruled in their favor. Lyft and Uber drivers recently won the right to receive unemployment insurance benefits immediately. The ruling was made by a federal judge who determined that the New York Department of Labor had taken too long to issue payments. The ruling was made by U.S. District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall in Brooklyn this week. The judge cited a backlog of claims was occurring from ride-hail drivers who sued New York state in…

Read More

22 million unemployment insurance claims were filed in a 4-week span

Unemployment insurance - Closed Business Sign

As businesses continue to remain closed because of the pandemic, workers are steadily laid off. The steady stream of layoffs resulting from businesses temporarily closing due to the coronavirus pandemic has led to millions of additional unemployment insurance claims. In April’s first full week, an additional 5.2 million workers submitted their first week’s filing for benefits. US Department of Labor data showed that the total number of Americans who have filed their first unemployment insurance claims is 22 million in four weeks following March 14. This represents approximately 13.5 percent…

Read More

Alberta, Canada, sees 91 percent spike in employment insurance recipients

layoff employment Insurance Industry - Alberta, Canada

The province that had previously had a boom in job availability is now facing astounding unemployment rates. New research from Statistics Canada has shown that the province of Alberta has reached a tremendous increase in employment insurance recipients when compared to the rate in January 2015. The Statistics Canada data has shown that the figure in January 2016 is a massive 91 percent higher. In fact, across the country, the number of people receiving employment insurance has increased by 7 percent, but the majority of that figure is actually the…

Read More