Who gets hurt when lawmakers cut the duration or maximum level of unemployment benefits?
Two new infographics answer this question and put these kinds of harmful cuts into context.
Young people in North Carolina saw their unemployment rate double during the Great Recession.
Click here to read more from our Profile of Unemployment Series »
(Photo above from flickr, by talli_1985, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
The economic downturn affected nearly all workers in N.C. Those hard hit by unemployment faced struggles to make ends meet and find work in a jobless recovery. The broader economy has suffered, too, as small businesses see a decline in demand for their goods and services. How has unemployment impacted you? How important is unemployment insurance in supporting your family in tough times? Share your story here »
(Photo at right from flickr, by stan, CC BY-SA 2.0)
On Nov. 30th, the National Employment Law Project joined with unemployed workers, workers, and members of Congress to call for a renewal of the federal unemployment insurance programs currently scheduled to expire on Dec. 31st. Without action, nearly two million Americans will be cut off unemployment insurance in January alone, and six million will be cut off over the course of next year. Congress has never allowed emergency unemployment programs to expire with the unemployment rate above 7.2%. To read more about NELP’s work, visit www.nelp.org
North Carolina’s jobs deficit stands at more than half a million, four years into the official economic recovery. This gap between the jobs demanded by a growing workforce and those in the labor market has driven persistent and high unemployment across the state.
The economy needs a strengthened unemployment insurance system to ensure that the jobs deficit can be reversed and the rebuilding of our economy is on sounder footing. And yet policymakers in North Carolina implemented radical changes to the state;s unemployment insurance system that will undermine its effectiveness. They slashed benefit amounts and duration of benefits while failing to recognize the critical alignment that is necessary between the design of the system and broader economic conditions.
The I am a Tar Heel Worker campaign calls on North Carolina’s policymakers to:
- Strengthen the state’s unemployment insurance system so that it serves its purpose as an insurance system for the broader economy.
- Address the financing of the unemployment insurance trust fund so that the system is funded in good times and able to support the economy in downturns.
