Unemployment and Jobless Benefits

Posted on September 16, 2011 by townsend

• Unemployment rate rises in most states in August, By Derek Kravitz (AP), September 16, 2011, USA Today: “Unemployment rates rose in most states in August for a third straight month, further proof that job growth is weak nationwide. The Labor Department says unemployment rates increased in 26 states. They fell in 12 and remained unchanged in 12. Nevada had the nation’s highest unemployment rate among states at 13.4%. That is up from 12.9% in July. North Dakota had the lowest unemployment rate, at 3.5%. That’s up from 3.3% in July. Nationwide, hiring fell significantly in August. The economy added no new net jobs, and the unemployment rate stayed at 9.1% for a second month…”
• California unemployment rate hits 12.1% as employers slash jobs, By Alana Semuels, September 16, 2011, Los Angeles Times: “Unsettled by signs that the recovery is stumbling, California employers in August cut jobs for the second month in a row, helping push the unemployment rate to 12.1% from 12% in July. Payrolls fell by 8,400 positions last month, according to figures released Friday by the Employment Development Department. The losses are worrying to economists, who say turmoil at the state and national levels could continue through the fall. The country added no jobs in August. The national unemployment rate stands at 9.1%…”
• Unemployment benefits extensions have small impact on jobless rate, By Sara Murray, September 16, 2011, Wall Street Journal: “Generous unemployment benefits have had little effect on the unemployment rate, according to a new study that may help ease concerns that benefits give sidelined Americans a disincentive to hunt for jobs. Unemployment insurance, which is available for up to 99 weeks in some states, nudged the jobless rate up 0.2 to 0.6 of a percentage point higher than it would have been otherwise, according to a new paper by Jesse Rothstein, a University of California, Berkeley economist and released at the Brookings Institution this week…”
• Billions in unemployment benefits paid in error, By Sara Murray, September 14, 2011, Wall Street Journal: “Nearly $19 billion in state unemployment benefits were paid in error during the three years that ended in June, new Labor Department data show. The amount represents more than 10% of the $180 billion in jobless benefits paid nationwide during the period. (See a sortable chart of each states’ overpayments) The tally covers state programs, which offer benefits for up to 26 weeks, from July 2008 to June 2011. Layers of federal programs that help provide benefits for up to 99 weeks weren’t included…”