• U.S. jobless rate falls to 8.3 percent, a 3-year low, By Motoko Rich, February 3, 2012, New York Times: “The United States economy gained momentum in January, as employers added 243,000 jobs, the second straight month of better-than-expected gains. And in a separate measure, the unemployment rate fell to 8.3 percent, giving a cause for optimism as the economy shapes up as the central issue in the presidential election. Measured by both the unemployment rate and the number of jobless - which fell to 12.8 million - it was the strongest signal yet that an economic recovery was spreading to the jobs market. The last time the figures were as good was February 2009, President Obama’s first full month in office…”
• Unemployment rate hinges on more than job gains or losses, Associated Press, February 3, 2012, Washington Post: “For most people, the 8.3 percent unemployment rate is the most visible sign of the economy’s health. The rate’s every movement is closely watched, especially in an election year. But when the rate declines, it’s not always because many more people were hired. The unemployment rate can rise or fall even when no jobs are created or lost. Last month, the rate fell because jobs were added. But that hasn’t always been the case in the 2½ years since the Great Recession ended. One reason for the rate’s decline is that fewer people are looking for work…”

• 99 week maximum for jobless benefits may drop as low as 59 weeks, By Olivera Perkins, January 26, 2012, Cleveland Plain Dealer: “People thrust out of work in Ohio might have to settle for a much shorter period of unemployment benefits. Jobless workers here have been able to count on 99 weeks of benefits, but the maximum could fall to as low as 59 weeks. That possibility raises a divisive question: Is 99 weeks — almost two years — too long to draw jobless benefits…?”
• Jobless benefits to expire unless Pa. House acts, By Laura Olson, January 31, 2012, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: “Thousands of Pennsylvanians will see their federally funded unemployment benefits expire after this week, with legislation to extend those checks lingering in the state House of Representatives. A pending measure, which passed the state Senate last week, would offer 13 additional weeks of benefits to the state’s jobless residents. The federal funding was approved by Congress in December but requires the state to tweak its unemployment compensation rules in order to receive those dollars. That bill is awaiting consideration by a House panel, which has a vote scheduled for Monday. Legislative staffers say the belatedly approved benefits would be retroactive, but pressures to also enact broader changes to the state’s unemployment compensation system could further hold up that assistance…”
• Study: Safety net misses many jobless in Nevada, By Ed Vogel, January 30, 2012, Las Vegas Review-Journal: “Las Vegans Dylan Wikoff and Jorge Suescun Hijuelos know firsthand the downward spiral that occurs once you lose your job and then exhaust your unemployment benefits without finding work. ‘I ended up homeless on Fremont Street,’ said Wikoff, a 36-year-old Marine Corps veteran who was laid off more than two years ago from a sales job at a construction supply company. ‘It was a slow downward spiral for me,’ said Hijuelos, 51, a longtime union construction worker who had never been without work for more than a few weeks until the completion of the CityCenter project. ‘I sold my car, sold my bedroom set, sold everything to pay my rent. I went from a beautiful condo to renting rooms by the week. I slept in a couple of fields.’ These polite and bright men are not unusual. They actually are some of the lucky ones in the never-ending recession in Nevada…”
• Tension rises over Maine bill tackling unemployment insurance fraud, By Steve Mistler, January 30, 2012, Lewiston Sun Journal: “A controversial bill that would increase the penalties for unemployment fraud and the qualifications to receive out-of-work benefits is meeting stiff resistance from worker advocates. The proposal, LD 1725, was presented by the Department of Labor, which argued that an increase in unemployment claims has been accompanied by an increased possibility of fraud. Additionally, employer advocates are championing a provision in the proposal that would stop exempting vacation pay from the waiting period to receive benefits. Opponents, however, say the bill’s proposal to increase potential criminal penalties for unemployment fraud from a maximum of one year to 10 years in prison is extreme for a state that has one of the nation’s lowest unemployment fraud rates. In addition, they say the bill’s increased work-search mandates will force unemployed workers to take a job well beneath their skill and wage level…”
• Senators want to end jobless benefits for fired workers, By Gina Smith, January 26, 2012, The State: “State senators said Wednesday that they want to make sure that workers who were fired cannot get state unemployment benefits in the future. A Senate panel Wednesday advanced a bill that would prevent workers fired for misconduct from receiving any state unemployment benefits. Under current law, these workers can get jobless benefits for from five to 20 weeks, depending on the type and severity of their workplace infraction. The fired workers still would be eligible for up to 58 weeks of federal unemployment benefits under the proposal…”

• SC Senate panel approves unemployment bills, By Seanna Adcox (AP), January 11, 2012, Charlotte Observer: “A Senate panel advanced bills Tuesday that would require people laid off in South Carolina to pass a drug test to receive unemployment benefits, then volunteer 16 hours weekly with a charity or public agency to keep receiving a check. Though the panel heard testimony that both proposals would likely conflict with federal law, its chairman, Sen. Kevin Bryant, said afterward that doesn’t matter…”
• Jobless may be forced to take drug tests and volunteer, By Tim Flach, January 11, 2012, The State: “A legislative tug-of-war started Tuesday over proposals to require laid-off workers to take a drug test initially and sign up for community service later to receive unemployment payments.  Both proposals won approval from a Senate panel despite warnings the steps probably would be challenged by federal labor officials as too harsh on many of South Carolina’s nearly 214,000 jobless. The drug-test requirement breezed to initial acceptance amid complaints it is punitive. Making a test a condition for benefits doesn’t send ‘the right message,’ said Sue Berkowitz, who runs a Midlands legal service for the poor…”

• Extended jobless benefits likely to end soon for 4,777 in area, By Richard Craver, January 7, 2012, Winston-Salem Journal: “The final unemployment-benefit lifeline for about 23,000 North Carolinians appears likely to be cut off as scheduled on Jan. 28. Although Congress agreed Dec. 23 to extend federal benefits for two months, it appears unlikely that the General Assembly will agree to allow North Carolina to borrow more money from the U.S. Labor Department. As of Dec. 29, North Carolina had borrowed $2.67 billion from the federal government - the fourth-highest amount among 27 participating states - to pay up to 20 weeks of state-extended unemployment benefits. Those benefits are available only after claimants exhaust up to 26 weeks of initial state benefits and up to 53 weeks - representing four tiers - of federal benefits. There are 4,777 people in the Triad and Northwest North Carolina in the extended state benefit level. The state’s unemployment rate was 10 percent in November. The national rate was 8.5 percent in December, officials announced Friday…”
• Extra jobless benefits in peril, By Catherine Candisky, January 7, 2012, Columbus Dispatch: “More than 20,000 long-term unemployed Ohioans will lose up to 20 weeks of jobless benefits unless state lawmakers agree to take advantage of a more-favorable formula for determining which states qualify for the federal aid. The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services is urging legislators to make the fix, which will cost the state nothing because the benefits are funded entirely by the federal government, said Benjamin Johnson, spokesman for the state agency which oversees unemployment benefits. The Republican-controlled General Assembly is expected to oblige…”

• Jobless benefits change to start this week, By Josh Lintereur and Chad Dally, January 2, 2012, Wausau Daily Herald: “A new state budget provision requiring a one-week waiting period before unemployed workers can begin collecting unemployment benefits takes effect this week. The new provision will affect the newly unemployed and those already collecting benefits. In some cases, it will result in a laid-off worker receiving one less check than he or she would have in the past. State lawmakers made the change as part of the 2011-13 biennial budget, meaning Wisconsin will join more than three dozen states that already have instituted waiting periods. State labor officials said the delay will save an estimated $45.2 million a year by allowing additional time to determine eligibility and reduce improper payments, and by pushing the payment schedule back…”
• Many of state’s jobless struggle: No benefits, no job and no luck finding one, By Scott Davis, December 29, 2011, Lansing State Journal: “Thousands of Michigan’s unemployed have a renewed lifeline with last week’s extension of federal jobless benefits. But Virona Brown could be among the thousands who will begin the New Year with no job prospects, unreturned calls on employment applications and no unemployment check to pay basic necessities. Though Michigan’s unemployment rate dipped to 9.8 percent last month, the Lansing woman and several others say they are still struggling to find employment in the region…”

• Unemployment fell in 43 states in November, By Martin Crutsinger (AP), December 20, 2011, Atlanta Journal Constitution: “Unemployment rates fell in 43 states in November, the most number of states to report such declines in eight years. The falling state rates reflect the brightening jobs picture nationally. The U.S. unemployment rate fell sharply in November to 8.6 percent, the lowest since March 2009. The economy has generated 100,000 or more jobs five months in a row - the first time that’s happened since 2006, before the Great Recession. Only three states reported higher unemployment rates in November, the Labor Department said Tuesday. Four states showed no change…”
• Bills to restructure Michigan jobless, workers comp insurance systems signed, By Dawson Bell, December 20, 2011, Detroit Free Press: “Gov. Rick Snyder signed legislation Monday to restructure Michigan’s unemployment and workers compensation insurance systems, changes he said would ‘ensure their solvency and integrity.’ The bills, approved earlier this month by the Legislature, authorize the issuance of revenue bonds to pay off the state’s $3-billion federal unemployment insurance debt, saving the state about $117 million in 2012 and sparing employers more than $270 million in federal penalties, administration officials said. The debt arose from a decade of high unemployment in Michigan, as unemployment taxes assessed on employers have not kept pace with claims made by Michigan workers…”

Congress weighing length of jobless benefits, By Tom Raum (AP), December 14, 2011, Boston Globe: “Is there any downside to extending federal jobless benefits, as Congress is about to do? The benefits are a crucial lifeline to the longtime unemployed. But they also can be a disincentive to looking for work and prolong joblessness, economists say, as lawmakers weigh shortening them. If Congress does nothing, the current law that provides federal benefits to augment state assistance that last for only 26 weeks will expire at the end of this month. As a result, more than a million out-of-work Americans could lose their benefits in January, and a total of five million could lose them by year’s end. The Republican-led House has passed a bill that extends the coverage but gradually reduces the ceiling on federal and state benefits combined from 99 weeks to 59 weeks by mid-2012…”

• Dave Camp: Bill would reduce federal unemployment benefits, crackdown on welfare fraud and abuse, and create jobs, By Barrie Barber, December 12, 2011, Saginaw News: “U.S. Rep. Dave Camp has introduced broad legislation to reduce the maximum number of weeks of federal unemployment compensation, extend a payroll tax holiday, reform some Medicare provisions and extend a welfare program set to expire at the end of the year. Camp, R-Midland, said the provisions, among other changes, would encourage employers to hire new employees, and crackdown on fraud and abuse in welfare and tax credit programs…”
• Unemployment benefits remain hot topic in Michigan, By Tim Martin (AP), Detroit Free Press: “In Michigan, where the unemployment rate has soared above the national average for years, any proposal with the potential to affect jobless benefits stirs emotions at the state Capitol. That’s certainly the case with Republican-sponsored legislation recently approved by the Senate and awaiting a vote in the House. The bills would help stabilize Michigan’s sagging unemployment trust fund, which because of the high jobless rate has shelled out more money in benefits than it has collected in payments from employers financing the system. Michigan has borrowed money from the federal government to help make jobless benefit payments, racking up a $3 billion debt…”
• Unemployment benefits on the chopping block in D.C., By Daniel Malloy and Dan Chapman, December 12, 2011, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “Laid off from her temp job in Virginia last March, Lynette Green moved with her two kids to Atlanta in June in search of a job. She ran through her state unemployment payments and got a federal extension. ‘The benefits are very important; they help me pay my bills,’ said Green, 32, who lives in Atlanta’s West End and finally found work three weeks ago. ‘I used the money mainly for my kids, for their transportation and clothing when they started school.’ Extended federal unemployment benefits, which can last up to 73 weeks, expire Dec. 31. The U.S. House will vote Tuesday on continuing to pay the benefits through January 2013. Supporters of the extension say it’s needed in the toughest job market in generations. Those who want to reduce the benefits, mainly Republicans, say payments that can run nearly two years are disincentives to work…”
• The state of the long-term unemployed, By John Ydstie, December 12, 2011, National Public Radio: “Millions of Americans wake up each morning without a job, even though they desperately want to work. It’s one of the depressing legacies of the financial crisis and Great Recession. NPR and the Kaiser Family Foundation conducted a poll of people who had been unemployed or with an insufficient level of work for more than a year. The results document the financial, emotional and physical effects of long-term unemployment and underemployment. The federal government currently counts 5.7 million Americans as long-term unemployed, which it defines as people out of work for 27 weeks or more. The NPR/Kaiser poll used a slightly different measure, surveying people out of work for a year or more…”

Unemployment benefit applications fall to 9-month low, latest sign of improving job market, Associated Press, December 8, 2011, Washington Post: “A steady decline in the number of people applying for weekly unemployment benefits is the latest signal that the economy has strengthened and businesses may be poised to step up hiring. Applications fell last week fell to a seasonally adjusted 381,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. That’s the lowest level since late February. And a four-week average for applications, which smooths week-to-week fluctuations, fell for the ninth time in 11 weeks to an eight-month low. The downward trend in unemployment benefit applications bolsters the view that the economy has improved from its spring slump, when many feared another recession was likely. Consumer confidence is up, retailers reported a strong start to the holiday shopping season and the unemployment rate fell last month to its lowest point in two and a half years…”

• 160,000 jobless Michiganders at risk of losing safety net, By Katharine Yung, December 5, 2011, Detroit Free Press: “Unless Congress acts to continue extended unemployment benefits, it could be a grim holiday season for nearly 160,000 Michiganders. An end to the extended benefits would immediately impact 61,000 state residents who are getting this federal aid after exhausting their 26 weeks of state-funded assistance. Another 98,743 people who are receiving state benefits would no longer get additional help if they are still jobless after 26 weeks…”
• Jobless benefits a holiday uncertainty, By Catharine Candisky, December 4, 2011, Columbus Dispatch: “For the second year in a row, thousands of unemployed Ohioans face the holidays uncertain about whether their jobless benefits will continue into the new year. Nearly 77,000 jobless Ohioans - more than a quarter of whom rely on unemployment to pay their mortgages, utility bills and grocery bills - will exhaust benefits in early January unless Congress agrees to fund another extension of federal assistance. By early April, 107,000 more workers would fall off the rolls, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services said…”
• Clock ticking on Mainers’ unemployment benefits, By Susan McMillan, December 4, 2011, Morning Sentinel: “Maine is bracing for a new wave of need as extended federal unemployment benefits near their end. If Congress does not reauthorize extended benefits, 17,000 Mainers will see their benefits run out by May, Department of Labor spokesman Adam Fisher said. The department and its 12 regional Career Centers will increase outreach to unemployment claimants and add workshops to help the long-term unemployed find work…”

Businesses penalized for state unemployment insurance debt, By Pamela M. Prah, November 18, 2011, Stateline.org: “Employers in 20 states will have to shell out more in taxes next year as a penalty for the states not paying back federal loans that kept unemployment programs afloat during the recession. Altogether, states still owe $37.6 billion to the feds that they borrowed when their unemployment insurance trust funds sank to zero. Most states have dealt with the problem by raising state payroll taxes on employers, making benefits to workers less generous; or a combination of the two. A handful, though, have opted to issue bonds. Idaho did it earlier this year, and Texas did it last year. And just this month, Illinois lawmakers approved legislation allowing the state to issue bonds to pay back the $2 billion the state owes the federal government for unemployment relief. Governor Pat Quinn has applauded the UI package and has indicated he will sign the measure. The state figures it will get an interest rate lower than the 4 percent it would have to pay the federal government, saving the state and businesses millions of dollars…”

• Jobless-benefit checks phased out, By Chad Livengood, November 15, 2011, News Journal: “Paper unemployment insurance checks will be virtually nonexistent in Delaware by mid-2012. The Delaware Department of Labor plans to do away with almost all paper checks by June, when it begins issuing debit cards to jobless workers who don’t choose to receive their unemployment benefits via a direct deposit into their bank accounts. ‘As far as the paper check, it’s going to go the way of the dinosaur,’ said Tom MacPherson, director of the division of unemployment insurance. There may still be some paper checks issued to people claiming unemployment benefits for the first time, MacPherson said, but only until a direct deposit can be activated with their bank…”
• Branstad praises results of closing 36 unemployment offices, By Jason Clayworth, November 14, 2011, Des Moines Register: “Gov. Terry Branstad’s decision that’s being challenged as unconstitutional to close 36 Iowa unemployment offices was praised today by himself and his administration as ‘a significant success.’ ‘Our tracking data indicates that services are equal to or greater than what they were available at this time last year. I see this as a significant success and commend Director (Teresa) Wahlert and Iowa Workforce Development for their good work,’ Branstad said. Branstad in July vetoed portions of Senate File 517 that would have prohibited closure of the 36 Iowa Workforce Development offices across the state. Branstad wrote in his veto letter that the legislation would have prevented the department from putting together a more efficient system for assisting unemployed Iowans…”

• Most of America’s unemployed no long receiving benefits, By Christopher S. Rugaber (AP), November 5, 2011, Denver Post: “The jobs crisis has left so many people out of work for so long that most of America’s unemployed are no longer receiving unemployment benefits. Early last year, 75 percent were receiving checks. The figure is now 48 percent - a shift that points to a growing crisis of long-term unemployment. Nearly one-third of America’s 14 million unemployed have had no job for a year or more. Congress is expected to decide by year’s end whether to continue providing emergency unemployment benefits for up to 99 weeks in the hardest-hit states. If the emergency benefits expire, the proportion of the unemployed receiving aid would fall further. The ranks of the poor would also rise. The Census Bureau​ says unemployment benefits kept 3.2 million people from slipping into poverty last year. It defines poverty as annual income below $22,314 for a family of four. Yet for a growing share of the unemployed, a vote in Congress to extend the benefits to 99 weeks is irrelevant. They’ve had no job for more than 99 weeks. They’re no longer eligible for benefits…”
• Thousands of Oregon jobless will lose unemployment insurance if Congress doesn’t renew federal benefits, By Richard Read, November 3, 2011, The Oregonian: “Thousands of Oregonians will lose their unemployment benefits early next year if Congress doesn’t extend emergency coverage, state projections show. Now, about 2,000 Oregonians a month exhaust their jobless benefits, having failed to find work after as long as 99 weeks. But that number would jump to 13,400 in January and 12,500 in February, according to the projections by the Oregon Employment Department. Democrats in the U.S. House introduced a bill Thursday to extend the federally funded benefits another year, and Congress has never failed to pass an extension when unemployment rates were this high. But the measure — with a $45 billion price tag, plus a potential $7 billion to help states extend benefits — is not certain to pass given heavy public pressure to cut federal spending…”
• Oregon unemployed allowed to keep jobless benefits paid by mistake, By Richard Read, November 8, 2011, The Oregonian: “More than 600 Oregonians who received unemployment payments in error can keep the money — which totals $615,000 so far — under a state law passed this year. In each case, the Oregon Employment Department determined that recovering the overpayments from people enduring financial hardships would violate equity and good conscience. The total amount forgiven will increase under the system as more people request and receive repayment waivers. The money comes from a state jobless-benefits trust fund financed by employers, not taxpayers…”
• New jobless claims decline to lowest level since April, Reuters, November 10, 2011, New York Times: “New claims for jobless benefits in the United States fell last week to their lowest level since early April and the country’s trade deficit unexpectedly shrank in September, pointing to a slight improvement in the sluggish economy. The Labor Department said on Thursday that initial claims for state unemployment benefits fell for the second consecutive week, dropping 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 390,000. That is still well above levels from before the 2007-9 recession, but economists say a level below 400,000 could prompt some acceleration in hiring…”

Oregon overpays $392 million in unemployment benefits, fraud investigators swamped, By Richard Read, October 28, 2011, The Oregonian: “As unemployment insurance claims ballooned during the past few years, Oregon overpaid more than $392 million in benefits, a U.S. Labor Department analysis shows. That’s about 12 percent of almost $3.5 billion paid in benefits during the three years that ended in June. Some of the money went out the door innocently enough, paid before the Oregon Employment Department determined a recipient was ineligible for benefits. But other checks went to people who fraudulently collected unemployment without looking for work, or who found a job and continued claiming benefits. Either way, Oregon officials aim to recover the money, which originates from employers, not individual taxpayers. But they say fraud cases have swamped the Employment Department, where caseloads at one point reached 400 per investigator, up from 150 before the recession…”

Facing hardship, jobless still say they have hope, By Michael Cooper and Allison Kopicki, October 26, 2011, New York Times: “The nation’s lingering unemployment crisis has forced many people without work to dip into their savings, borrow from relatives and do without necessities including health insurance, and most people who receive unemployment benefits said that the money was not enough to meet their basic needs, according to a New York Times/CBS News poll of jobless Americans. Still, despite enduring hardships and being even more pessimistic about the nation’s economy than the general public, unemployed Americans remained optimistic about eventually landing jobs. A little more than half of those polled said they were either very or somewhat confident they would find long-term employment in the next year, and a majority said they expected that when they did find permanent work, it would be at a similar or higher salary than they had received in the past. But the poll found deep unease about unemployment benefits…”

Millions to lose unemployment benefits if Congress doesn’t act, By Tami Luhby, October 11, 2011, CNNMoney.com: “Millions of unemployed Americans are waiting for Congress to do something other than trade barbs over their job creation plans. If lawmakers don’t act soon, the jobless see their unemployment checks start to disappear come January. More than 6 million Americans are set to lose federal unemployment benefits in 2012, with 1.8 million running out in January alone, according to new figures from the National Employment Law Project. President Obama’s $447 billion American Jobs Act would extend the deadline to file for federal unemployment benefits for another year. Though the Senate is expected to take up the controversial jobs bill on Tuesday, it’s unlikely to get very far…”

States adding drug test as hurdle for welfare, By A.G. Sulzberger, October 10, 2011, New York Times: “As more Americans turn to government programs for refuge from a merciless economy, a growing number are encountering a new price of admission to the social safety net: a urine sample. Policy makers in three dozen states this year proposed drug testing for people receiving benefits like welfare, unemployment assistance, job training, food stamps and public housing. Such laws, which proponents say ensure that tax dollars are not being misused and critics say reinforce stereotypes about the poor, have passed in states including Arizona, Indiana and Missouri. In Florida, people receiving cash assistance through welfare have had to pay for their own drug tests since July, and enrollment has shrunk to its lowest levels since the start of the recession…”

• Some unemployed find fault in extension of jobless benefits, By Shaila Dewan, October 6, 2011, New York Times: “Dan Tolleson, a researcher and writer with a Ph.D. in politics, has been out of work since 2009, except for brief stints as a driver. Still, he opposes President Obama’s call for Congress to renew extensions on unemployment benefits. ‘They’re going to end up spending more money on unemployment benefits, while less money is coming in on tax returns,’ he said, suggesting that the government should focus on measures that might encourage businesses to hire. ‘Far better to relax some of these outrageous regulations.’ Make no mistake - Mr. Tolleson, 54, has collected unemployment checks, saying he had little choice. But his objection to a policy that would probably benefit him shows just how divisive the question has become of providing a bigger safety net to the long-term jobless, a common strategy in recessions…”
• Long-Term joblessness likely to spur unemployment extension fight, By Sara Murray, October 7, 2011, Wall Street Journal: “One of the most persistent hangovers from this prolonged downturn will likely be the nation’s crop of long-term unemployed. The number of Americans out of work for more than six months rose by 208,000 to 6.2 million in September, the Labor Department said. Some 44.6% of all of those who are unemployed have been sidelined for at least six months. Most of those individuals - nearly 4.4 million - have been out of work for a least a year. Long-term unemployment has been more pervasive during this recession and anemic recovery than any other point in history, according to records dating back to the 1940s…”
• Adding jobs, but not many, U.S. economy seems to idle, By Motoko Rich, October 7, 2011, New York Times: “As an increasing number of economists warned of a possible dip back into recession, the Labor Department said Friday that American employers added 103,000 net new jobs in September, indicating that the economy is at least not weakening for now. The government also revised its estimates upward for the previous two months, suggesting that job growth in July and August had been better than originally reported. Although the numbers staved off the bleakest forecasts for now, the Labor Department’s monthly snapshot highlighted the challenges for President Obama as he continues to press a balky Congress to pass his jobs bill…”
• Businesses add jobs, but unemployment rate unchanged in September, By Don Lee, October 7, 2011, Los Angeles Times: “Hiring picked up moderately in September as employers added 103,000 jobs, the government said Friday, easing fears among economists that the nation was hurtling toward another recession. But the job growth wasn’t strong enough to lower the unemployment rate, which remained stuck at 9.1% for the third straight month. Analysts say about 125,000 net new jobs are needed every month to keep pace with the population growth and maintain the current jobless rate. While construction employment rebounded and retailers hired more workers last month, manufacturing payrolls shrank again and government continued its sharp cutbacks. Also, the number of part-time workers who want full-time hours rose sharply over the month, to 9.3 million, from 8.8 million in August. Including these workers and others who have quit looking because they don’t see hope of getting hired, the share of unemployed and underemployed among the U.S. workforce rose to 16.5% in September, up from 16.2% in the prior month and 15.8% in May…”

Unemployment benefits applications fall but joblessness remains high, By Christopher S. Rugaber and Martin Crutsinger (AP), September 30, 2011, Christian Science Monitor: “The economy is showing signs of modest improvement - not enough to reduce highunemployment but enough to ease fears that another recession might be near. Fewer people applied for unemployment benefits last week, though some of that was due to technical factors. And the economy grew slightly more in the April-June quarter than previously estimated. Growth is also expected to tick up in coming months…”

• Unemployment rates fell in two-thirds of US cities last month, despite slowdown in hiring, Associated Press, September 28, 2011, Washington Post: “Unemployment rates fell in roughly two-thirds of U.S. cities last month, despite zero job growth nationwide. The Labor Department said Wednesday that unemployment rates dropped in 237 of the nation’s largest metro areas in August from July. They rose in 103 and stayed the same in 32. That’s an improvement from July, when rates fell in 193 areas and rose in 118. Some areas with large agricultural sectors added jobs to coincide with the start of the harvest. Auto companies boosted hiring in several other cities…”
• Georgia could cut jobless benefits to repay feds, By Dan Chapman, September 27, 2011, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “Georgia borrowed $721 million from Washington to help the unemployed survive the lousy economy and now, as the bills come due, it may repay the debt by cutting back on jobless benefits. The state Labor Department will send a $21.4 million check to Washington this week, the first payment on debt run up since late 2009. Labor Commissioner Mark Butler is weighing a slew of repayment options, but strongly hinted he favors cutting benefits — both the weekly amount and the number of weeks of eligibility…”

• 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…”

• Many feel repercussions of long-term unemployment, By Katherine Yung, September 5, 2011, Detroit Free Press: “Almost 2 1/2 years after losing his job as an inventory technician, all Mark Baerlin has to show for his lengthy job search are notebooks filled with information about the 343 jobs for which he applied. So far this year, the Dearborn resident has gotten five interviews. None of them panned out. In early July, Baerlin exhausted all 99 weeks of his unemployment benefits. He has been saving every penny he can, canceling doctor appointments and using as little water, lighting, air-conditioning and gasoline as possible. If the 51-year-old doesn’t find a job soon, he could lose his house. ‘I’m living on my savings, and that’s not going to last very long,’ he said. Welcome to the world of the long-term unemployed, who face a 20 percent drop in earnings over the next two decades, loss of retirement savings, isolation, increased risk for depression and even reduced life expectancy. Twenty-seven months after the official end of the recession, long-term unemployment remains at crisis levels, with 6 million Americans out of work for more than half a year, including 235,000 in Michigan…”
• Deadline looms for millions of unemployed Floridians, By Kevin Wiatrowski, September 6, 2011, Tampa Tribune: “When President Barack Obama addresses Congress this week about jobs, he’ll have Ellen Turner’s attention. The New Port Richey resident lost her job as a graphic designer in December 2008. When her unemployment benefits ran out in mid-2010, Turner joined the ranks of a club no one wants to belong to: the 99ers. Taking their name from the 99-week limit on state and federal unemployment benefits, 99ers made up about 14 percent of the 14.4 million people who were jobless at the end of July, the most recent month for which figures are available, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. The recession may have officially ended last year, but for Turner and millions of others the dark economic cloud has yet to lift. They rely on unemployment checks, food stamps, Medicaid and other government programs — programs that are being cut or retooled by state and national leaders…”

Jobless benefits fix costing Ind. businesses more, Associated Press, August 28, 2011, Lafayette Journal and Courier: “Indiana businesses have paid about 44 percent more in employer taxes this year under a legislative effort to fix the state’s bankrupt unemployment insurance fund. The Journal Gazette reported that so far this year businesses have paid $741.6 million to the state’s unemployment trust fund. That’s up about 44 percent from last year, when the total collected from Indiana companies was $514 million. Those businesses also face the added burden of federal penalties because Indiana still owes the federal government about $1.8 billion it borrowed to continue making payments to the unemployed. Businesses pay taxes into an unemployment insurance trust fund that pays jobless benefits to Indiana residents who lose their jobs. However, Indiana has been paying out more in benefits than it received from taxes since 2000. That eroded the trust fund surplus well before the recession hit…”

Ohio unlikely to get $176M for jobless benefits, By Andy Brownfield (AP), August 21, 2011, Dayton Daily News: “As Ohio faced Monday’s deadline to expand unemployment benefits and receive $176 million in federal stimulus money, state officials had not applied for the money and the General Assembly had not scheduled any sessions to take any action.  The federal government set aside $7 billion for unemployment compensation for states that broaden their unemployment programs. The provision is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. ‘The idea was to reward states who update laws to increase access to benefits,’ said Wayne Vroman, an unemployment compensation expert under contract with the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services. But Gov. John Kasich says it makes no sense for the state to make long-term changes to a fiscally-damaged system for a one-time payment, spokesman Rob Nichols said. And the jobs department, which administers the state’s unemployment compensation system, is not seeking any changes, department spokesman Ben Johnson said…”

• Unemployment benefits shrink in some states, By Alana Semuels, August 4, 2011, Los Angeles Times: “Several states are making sharp reductions in unemployment insurance benefits, accelerating the number of jobless people running out of government assistance, according to a report from the National Employment Law Project. The cuts come as states’ unemployment insurance funds face insolvency, forcing many to borrow more money from the federal government. At the end of July, 30 states had borrowed a total of $40 billion to pay for unemployment insurance benefits, and they must begin paying interest on those loans Sept. 30. Cuts to the programs take away a lifeline for unemployed workers, the advocacy group said…”
• Unemployment benefits at risk, By Tami Luhby, August 4, 2011, CNNMoney.com: “The debt ceiling agreement did little to help the millions of jobless Americans whose federal unemployment benefits are set to run out early next year. The unemployed had hoped that the debt ceiling deal would include an extension to file for federal unemployment benefits. But in the end, policymakers focused only on cutting federal spending. As it stands, most people laid off today will not be eligible to collect federal unemployment benefits after their state benefits run out. And those collecting federal benefits could find themselves cut off before receiving the full number of weeks for which they are now eligible…”

Senate leaves in place one-week wait for jobless benefits, By Patrick Marley, August 1, 2011, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “Republicans in the state Senate agreed to a deal Monday that would require those who are laid off to wait a week before collecting unemployment compensation, while giving the long-term jobless an additional 13 weeks of benefits. Republicans praised the bill as one that would help those struggling to find a job, while Democrats said it would hurt laid-off workers at a dire time. The vote held high stakes because it came just a week before six Republican senators face recall elections…”

Dispute on jobless benefits puts unemployed in a bind, By Jason Stein and Patrick Marley, July 21, 2011, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “Kathleen Bonchek raised a family and then worked for decades before her job at an insurance company fell victim to the financial crisis. For the first time in her life, the 61-year-old South Milwaukee resident took state jobless benefits and now stands just three weeks away from exhausting them. The federal government is offering an estimated $88 million in extended benefits for unemployed Wisconsin workers like Bonchek, but a dispute between GOP lawmakers has blocked their approval in the Legislature. ‘I’ve worked for 35 years. Is it OK for me to lose my home and everything I’ve worked for?’ Bonchek asked Thursday. ‘We need to act on this, and I don’t know what more we can tell these people.’ On Thursday, the Senate adjourned until at least next week without resolving the dispute over jobless benefits or giving a clear timeline for doing so…”

State Senate votes to extend jobless benefits, By Patrick Marley and Jason Stein, July 19, 2011, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “The Senate voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to capture an estimated $88 million in federal money to extend jobless benefits to tens of thousands of out-of-work state residents. In a surprising reversal, most GOP senators joined Democrats in voting to drop a one-week waiting period to get jobless benefits that they adopted just a month ago - a change that put the bill’s future in the Republican Assembly in doubt. The flip-flop came as recall elections loomed for six Republican and three Democratic senators, including one election being held Tuesday. Extending the benefits an additional 13 weeks with federal money would not touch the state’s struggling unemployment insurance trust fund. But ending the waiting period would add $41 million to $56 million a year in additional costs for the fund. There was no immediate word on whether Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald (R-Horicon) and Gov. Scott Walker supported the revised bill…”

Thousands set to lose jobless benefits, By Randy Tucker, July 18, 2011, Oxford Press: “Jobless benefits for thousands of displaced Ohio workers are set to expire at the beginning of next year, an event some economists fear will sap hundreds of millions of dollars in personal income from the state’s economy and further stall the economic recovery. Others, however, say the end of extended benefits will be good for the economy because it will force jobless workers to step up their job searches and bring down the unemployment rate. The end of extended unemployment benefits that Congress approved in December 2010 for up to 99 weeks will, at least in the short run, put added pressure on food pantries and other social service agencies that are already struggling with growing demand from jobless workers. More than 33,000 Ohioans have exhausted their unemployment benefits so far this year, putting the state on pace to exceed the 47,241 beneficiaries who received their final unemployment checks in 2010, based on figures from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services…”

• Regulators combat unemployment insurance waste and fraud, By Paul Davidson, July 4, 2011, USA Today: “State and federal regulators are cracking down on waste and fraud in the unemployment insurance system, abuses that have hit record levels as jobless claims surge in a weak economy. In the 12 months through March, the overpayment rate was 11.6% - more than $1 for every $9 paid out, Labor Department figures show. That’s up from the 12 months ending in June 2010, when a record $16.5 billion, or 10.6% of the $156 billion in jobless benefits disbursed to Americans, should not have been paid, according to the department. The overpayment rate was 9.6% in fiscal 2009 and 9.2% in 2008. Officials partly blame soaring unemployment, which forced state officials to use fraud-prevention workers to help handle an unprecedented wave of claims. ‘They were using every person they could find,’ says Gay Gilbert, Labor’s unemployment insurance administrator…”
• R.I. joins push to halt unemployment benefits fraud, Laura Crimaldi (AP), July 4, 2011, Boston Globe: “A nationwide crackdown is coming for people fraudulently drawing unemployment payments - those who were never eligible and workers who keep getting checks after they return to work - a $17 billion benefits swindle last year alone, say federal officials. With the poor economy lingering and the jobless rate remaining high, Rhode Island and other states are stepping up efforts to stop the fraud and improper payments. As much as 30 percent of the wrong payments in 2010 went to people who had returned to the workforce but continued to claim benefits, according to Dale Ziegler, deputy administrator for the Office of Unemployment Insurance at the Department of Labor. Those payments came even after a 2009 executive order by President Obama seeking new policies to cut payment errors, waste, fraud, and abuse…”

Jobless benefits backed by state panel, By Jason Stein and Paul Gores, June 23, 2011, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “A state advisory council voted unanimously Thursday to endorse legislation to make available $89 million in federally funded jobless benefits for more than 10,000 unemployed workers in the state. The federal money would extend benefits for qualifying workers by 13 weeks, giving a total of 86 weeks of coverage. It would not add to some $1.3 billion in debt weighing down the state’s unemployment fund. That debt, however, still presents great challenges. The state Department of Workforce Development is mailing letters to businesses notifying them of a special assessment that will be used to pay nearly $50 million of interest on the money that the state has borrowed from the federal government for jobless claims made in the midst of the recession. That underscored the need for a comprehensive plan to pay down the state’s debt, members of the state Unemployment Insurance Advisory Council said…”

• Extra jobless aid is cut in Mass., By Kaivan Mangouri, June 21, 2011, Boston Globe: “Thousands of Massachusetts residents will lose jobless benefits beginning next month as the state’s steadily declining unemployment rate disqualifies it for the extra federal assistance provided earlier in the recession. Unemployed workers will lose seven weeks of benefits under the rules of a federal program that extends eligibility based on state unemployment rates. Residents in states with rates above 8 percent are eligible to collect 20 weeks of additional benefits under this program; once the three-month average is below 8 percent, residents are eligible for 13 weeks…”
• Economists debate impact of Arizona’s unemployment-aid cut, By Ronald J. Hansen, June 21, 2011, Arizona Republic: “Arizona could be turning itself into an economic laboratory of sorts by declining to extend unemployment benefits for those out of work for months. Last week, the Legislature did not enact a technical change needed to accept federal cash that would extend unemployment checks from 79 to 99 weeks for at least 15,000 Arizonans. Some lawmakers argued that the extension of benefits, worth up to $240 weekly in Arizona, is a disincentive to find another job. Others disagree, noting that the scarcity of jobs means many people will struggle to find work regardless of whether they receive an unemployment check, and some argue that jobless aid has other positive economic effects. Arizona’s lack of extended aid helps put the theories to the test…”
• Extension of aid to jobless goes unused, By Jason Stein, June 20, 2011, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “More than 10,000 out-of-work Wisconsin residents are no longer receiving an estimated $89 million in federally funded jobless benefits because state officials have not acted to renew them. The change to state law would not touch the state’s struggling unemployment insurance trust fund and would provide 13 more weeks of benefits to workers who have been without employment for roughly a year and a half. The change in state law, which has tepid support from Gov. Scott Walker, could come before a state advisory panel Thursday. However, the Unemployment Insurance Advisory Council has done nothing, despite knowing about the issue for months. The Legislature could have gone ahead on its own. It did pass in the state budget a cost-saving proposal to stop paying workers the first week of unemployment insurance benefits - a difference to both the state and the workers of tens of millions of dollars a year. But with some Republicans and business leaders wary that benefits are actually a disincentive to work, there’s been no action. As a result, the extended benefits ran out on April 16…”

Pa. legislators reach deal on jobless benefits, By Mark Scolforo (AP), June 16, 2011, Philadelphia Inquirer: “A deal to avoid letting 45,000 Pennsylvanians lose unemployment-compensation benefits was announced by state legislative leaders late Wednesday, with limits on the maximum size of benefit checks and a requirement that recipients look for work. The compromise would cap the largest weekly benefit check at $573 for next year. The bill also would count severance pay of more than $17,800 against benefits, a move that would apply to about 6,000 beneficiaries. The average weekly benefit in Pennsylvania is about $310. House Majority Leader Mike Turzai (R., Allegheny) said the compromise was fair to employers and employees and amounted to the state’s only unemployment-compensation reforms in at least a decade. Republicans projected it would save the unemployment-compensation fund more than $114 million this year…”

• Lawmakers refused to make change to extend jobless benefits, By Howard Fischer, June 13, 2011, Yuma Sun: “State lawmakers refused Monday to change laws to extend jobless benefits, meaning the checks that about 15,000 Arizonans get this week are likely their last. Republican legislators stood in virtual unison in opposing the proposal by Gov. Jan Brewer to make the necessary change. GOP leaders said they could not in good conscience vote for keeping the checks coming for those already out of work more than 79 weeks while doing absolutely nothing to actually create jobs. But Brewer would not back away from her demand to immediately keep the jobless funds flowing, providing only a general promise to work with lawmakers on an economic stimulus plan later…”
• Jobless benefits extension fails; special session ends with no action, By Mary Jo Pitzl, Alia Beard Rau and Ginger Rough, June 14, 2011, Arizona Republic: “Arizona lawmakers on Monday refused to extend unemployment benefits for the long-term unemployed, meaning 15,000 people will get their last checks this week. The inaction makes Arizona one of the few states eligible for the extra federal aid that didn’t accept it. Other states, such as Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, are still debating similar measures. The abrupt end of the special session also is a defeat for Gov. Jan Brewer. The Republican governor called lawmakers back to the Capitol last week with an appeal to throw a lifeline to Arizonans hammered by the recession. Legislative Republicans, however, were unmoved. Reasons varied. They included the theory that extended unemployment checks - an average of $216 a week - are a disincentive to seeking work. Some lawmakers said rebuffing the benefits would help reduce the federal deficit…”

• Long-term jobless see reduction in benefits, By William M. Welch, May 17, 2011, USA Today: “Peter Gordon has been out of work for more than a year, and his $233-a-week unemployment checks stopped last month. ‘I’m getting by,’ he says, ‘but just barely.’ Gordon, 53, of St. Louis, worked in call centers and as a patient coordinator at a hearing clinic before being laid off. Last month, Missouri became the first state to quit the federal program that provides an additional 20 weeks of extended benefits for people such as Gordon: the long-term unemployed who have exhausted their otherwise-maximum 79 weeks of benefits. Missouri’s Legislature reversed itself after a group of Republican lawmakers upset with federal spending backed off a fillibuster aimed at forcing cuts in benefits. That means thousands of people, including Gordon, will be eligible after all to receive an unemployment check for 20 more weeks…”
• New bill could cut unemployment benefits, By Mary Ann Milbourn, May 16, 2011, Orange County Register: “A new bill working its way through Congress would help states like California pay off the billions they’ve borrowed from the federal government to fund unemployment benefits, but it could result in the early cutoff of the 99 weeks of extended jobless aid. Rep. David Camp, R-Mich., who is chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, introduced the bill, called the Jobs, Opportunity, Benefits and Services Act of 2011 (JOBS Act). The legislation, H.R. 1745, would take the $31 billion earmarked to pay extended unemployment benefits through the end of the year and allow states to use the money for other unemployment or job-related purposes…”

• In Florida, off-the-job conduct may put your unemployment benefits at risk, By Jim Stratton, May 11, 2011, Orlando Sentinel: “A just-passed overhaul of Florida’s unemployment laws gives employers the ability to challenge jobless benefits to former employees for behavior that has little to do with how they conduct themselves at work. The provision permits businesses to fight a worker’s benefits claim based on ‘misconduct, irrespective of whether the misconduct occurs at the workplace or during working hours.’ In essence, it allows the business to cite a worker’s private behavior as a reason to deny benefits…”
• Bill could end long-term benefits for jobless, By Marisa Schultz, May 12, 2011, Detroit News: “States could end long-term benefits for laid-off workers and use the money to pay off federal loans for the unemployment benefits under legislation passed Wednesday in the House Ways and Means Committee. States also could use the federal extended unemployment money to pay for federal tax increases on businesses or to start job creation programs. Michigan is to receive $1.3 billion this year from the federal government, which will distribute $31 billion nationally. As a result of the prolonged recession, 29 states owe the federal government a total of $41.2 billion in outstanding loans for unemployment benefits. Michigan, which held the highest unemployment rate in the nation for nearly four years, owes nearly $3.2 billion and must start paying the bill Sept. 30…”

• Debit cards hit jobless with ‘junk fees’, By Susan Tompor, May 11, 2011, Detroit Free Press: “Michigan’s debit card for jobless benefits hits the unemployed too hard in the pocket with ‘junk fees,’ a national consumer group said Tuesday. The group, which did a study of such cards for jobless people in 40 states, took issue with a fee on the Michigan debit card that charges $1.50 each time a purchase or ATM transaction is denied because there’s not enough money on the card. Another fee charges $1 to track the balance on the card at an ATM after two free balance inquiries each month at a network ATM. There are no free balance inquiries at out-of-network ATMs…”
• Report gives Ohio’s unemployment benefits card a thumbs down, By Sheryl Harris, May 11, 2011, Cleveland Plain Dealer: “The National Consumer Law Center says Ohio could have done more to protect citizens when it began delivering unemployment benefits on prepaid cards. The law center compared the prepaid cards issued by 40 states, giving Ohio’s card its lowest rating, a thumbs down. The biggest factor in the rating is the state’s decision to permit an ‘opt-in’ for overdraft coverage, which allows a card to be used even when there aren’t sufficient funds in the account to cover a transaction. Ohio’s card, issued through U.S. Bank, charges $17 per overdraft, but the big gripe about overdraft fees is that they tend to trigger additional deficits and even more fees. The law center report generally praised the Ohio card for providing ample fee-free services, including customer service calls, written statements, balance checks and withdrawals at U.S. Bank and VISA Plus ATMs. That’s better than some states, which charge consumers for both transactions denied for lack of funds as well as for checking their balances…”

• Florida would be only state to tie unemployment benefits to jobless rate, By Marcia Pounds, May 5, 2011, South Florida Sun-Sentinel: “If Florida’s Legislature approves the unemployment benefit bill passed by the Senate on Tuesday, Florida will be the only state that varies an unemployed worker’s weekly benefit with the jobless rate. An amended HB 7005, which returns to the House this week, is ‘the most damaging blow to unemployed workers yet,’ said Christine Owens, executive director of the National Employment Law Project, in a press release. The legislation ‘would go further than any other state in dismantling its unemployment insurance system,’ Owens said. Under the House version, the national standard of 26 weeks of benefits would no longer be available to unemployed Florida workers. Instead, the maximum number of weeks would vary from 23 weeks when the state’s unemployment rate is as high as 10.5 percent to as low as 12 weeks when the rate drops to 5 percent…”
• Lawmakers cut unemployment benefits to 23 weeks, By Michael C. Bender, May 6, 2011, Miami Herald: “Out-of-work Floridians would receive fewer state benefits while businesses pay less tax under a controversial proposal approved Friday by a divided Legislature. The deal, which Gov. Rick Scott is expected to sign into law, immediately cuts unemployment benefits by 11.5 percent. Jobless Floridians would continue to receive a maximum payment of $275 per week, among the lowest of any state in the country. But it would be paid for no more than 23 weeks, instead of 26. Cutting the number of weeks was a victory for Scott and the Republican House, which had fought Senate sponsor Nancy Detert to reduce the number of weeks. The bill, HB 7005, passed along party lines in both the Senate and the House. The bill also creates a sliding scale that cuts and adds weeks of benefits based on the unemployment rate. Unemployment compensation would drop as low as 12 weeks once the average unemployment rate drops to 5 percent or lower. A week would be added for every 0.5 percent the jobless rate climbs…”

Most states seen raising jobless tax on businesses, By Michael Cooper, April 27, 2011, New York Times: “As persistently high unemployment has drained the funds that are used to pay jobless benefits, more than two-thirds of the states expect to raise taxes on businesses this year to replenish them, according to a survey of labor agencies released Wednesday. Unemployment taxes remain low by historical standards: the survey, by the National Association of State Workforce Agencies, found that states have effectively cut the unemployment tax rate on businesses by 64 percent since the unemployment program began collecting taxes from employers in 1938…”

States seek to link public assistance, drug testing, By Ron Barnett, April 17, 2011, USA Today: “South Carolina state Sen. Harvey Peeler was at a Chamber of Commerce meeting in January when the human resources director of one of the area’s major employers, textile manufacturer Hamrick Mills, told him the company was having trouble hiring some people from the unemployment rolls. ‘They said they had potential employees that would come and apply and couldn’t pass the drug test,’ Peeler says. Peeler, a Republican who says he heard similar stories from other employers, introduced a bill Feb. 9 that would suspend unemployment checks to people who fail a drug test they must take to get a job. South Carolina is among 27 states, including Florida, Massachusetts and Arizona, to consider legislation this year that would require recipients of various kinds of public assistance to pass drug tests, according to Meagan Dorsch of the National Conference of State Legislatures…”

Senate offers deal on Missouri jobless benefits, By Virginia Young, April 8, 2011, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: “A logjam holding up extended unemployment benefits broke Thursday when Senate Republicans crafted a compromise that aims to cut other federal stimulus spending to send Washington a message about the deficit. Under the deal, senators agreed to extend benefits temporarily for longtime jobless Missourians by 20 weeks, at an estimated cost to the federal government of $105 million. As a tradeoff, the Senate intends to eliminate $250 million in already approved stimulus projects, such as grants and loans to make homes more energy-efficient and to improve municipal wastewater treatment systems. Senators also added a new provision, sought by business groups. Missouri employers would pay for 20 weeks instead of 26 weeks of unemployment benefits for future workers. Supporters said that change would help Missouri employers by offsetting higher taxes they will owe next year to pay back $800 million in federal loans that have kept the state’s unemployment fund afloat. Michigan recently took a similar step…”

Forget unemployment extensions, cutbacks more likely, By Sara Murray, April 5, 2011, Wall Street Journal: “State attempts to pare back unemployment and an improving economy are likely to lead to a much shorter span of unemployment benefits next year. A combination of state and federal programs has offered up to 99 weeks of unemployment benefits to jobless Americans in the recession and subsequent recovery. That coverage is beginning to unwind as cash-strapped states move to reduce their share of benefits and other states become ineligible for federal programs…”

Mo. to drop extended benefits for unemployed, By David A. Lieb (AP), March 31, 2011, ABC News: “Thousands of people in Missouri who have been unemployed for more than a year soon will lose their jobless benefits, marking a significant victory for Republican fiscal hawks who are crusading against government spending. When eligibility ends Saturday, Missouri will become the only state to voluntarily quit a federal stimulus program that offers extended benefits. Michigan, Arkansas and Florida also recently took steps to cut back on money going to the unemployed, although they targeted state benefits instead…”

• Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder signs bill to cut unemployment benefits in 2012, By Chris Christoff, March 29, 2011, Detroit Free Press: “As Gov. Rick Snyder and lawmakers struggle to erase a looming $1.4-billion state deficit, another deficit nearly three times as large hangs over the head of Michigan employers. They owe the federal government about $3.96 billion that the state borrowed to pay unemployment benefits during the worst economy since the Great Depression. That’s on top of the regular unemployment tax businesses and other employers must pay. The growing cost is a reason the Republican-led Legislature approved a new law that extends unemployment benefits this year, but next year will reduce to 20 weeks the maximum the state will pay unemployment benefits — down from 26. That means lower unemployment taxes for Michigan employers in the future…”
• Michigan cuts jobless benefit by six weeks, By Michael Cooper, March 28, 2011, New York Times: “Michigan, whose unemployment rate has topped 10 percent longer than that of any other state, is about to set another record: its new Republican governor, Rick Snyder, signed a law Monday that will lead the state to pay fewer weeks of unemployment benefits next year than any other state. Democrats and advocates for the unemployed expressed outrage that a such a hard-hit state will become the most miserly when it comes to how long it pays benefits to those who have lost their jobs. All states currently pay 26 weeks of unemployment benefits, before extended benefits paid by the federal government kick in. Michigan’s new law means that starting next year, when the federal benefits are now set to end, the state will stop paying benefits to the jobless after just 20 weeks. The shape of future extensions is unclear…”

Michigan first to act as states weigh reductions in unemployment benefits, By Peter Whoriskey and Michael A. Fletcher, March 24, 2011, Washington Post: “Michigan moved Thursday to significantly cut its unemployment program, becoming the first of what could be a flurry of debt-laden states to reduce aid even as high jobless rates persist. The Michigan measure reduces the maximum period a person can receive state unemployment benefits from 26 to 20 weeks, the lowest in the nation, officials said. Gov. Rick Snyder (R) indicated Thursday that he would sign the bill. The state’s economic troubles, aggravated by the recession and its shrinking manufacturing base, have turned Michigan into a bellwether of bust. Its unemployment rate stands at 10.7 percent - one of the worst in the country. The move comes as other Republican-dominated legislatures, including Florida’s, are weighing similar efforts to restrict payments to the jobless, and states such as Wisconsin, Ohio and Indiana are implementing far-reaching, controversial plans to close budget gaps…”

• Michigan may cut length of jobless benefits, By Todd Spangler, March 24, 2011, Detroit Free Press: “U.S. Rep. Sander Levin, D-Royal Oak, finds himself immersed in the affairs of the Capitol in Lansing because of a piece of legislation - now on the governor’s desk - that could make Michigan’s unemployment benefits the skimpiest in the nation, in terms of how long they can last. In a hastily called conference call with reporters and two state legislators this morning, Levin railed against the bill passed by the Republican-controlled state House and Senate as having ‘potentially dire ramifications’ if it goes into effect- which is almost certain to happen, at least in the short term, since Gov. Rick Snyder, also a Republican, has said he will sign it…”
• Levin, Dem leaders urge Snyder not to sign jobless measure, By Karen Bouffard, March 24, 2011, Detroit News: “U.S. Rep. Sander Levin and Democratic leaders of the state House and Senate called a rare joint press conference this morning to urge Gov. Rick Snyder not to sign legislation that will permanently reduce state-level unemployment benefits to 20 weeks from 26. The bill provides a 20-week extension in federal unemployment benefits for about 150,000 laid-off Michigan workers set to lose benefits by the end of the year, including 35,000 slated to fall of the rolls at the end of this month. The governor is expected to sign the bill into law, according to Snyder spokesman Sara Wurfel…”

Safety net for jobless rolls up after 99 weeks, By Greg Griffin, March 15, 2011, Denver Post: “Kelly Wiedemer alternates between hope and despair in her search for work, but as the months pass, she finds that pessimism prevails. The 45-year-old former business analyst has been unemployed since July 2008 and worries that she’ll never find a job that puts to use her college degree and more than 15 years of experience. Still, she said, she keeps looking and pursues every lead. Wiedemer’s unemployment benefits expired in April and resumed last month for a final six weeks. She’s been living off food stamps and the help of her mother, whose Westminster house she moved back into last June. ‘It’s a challenge just to buy dog food,’ she said, her 7-year-old bull terrier Kenda lying nearby. ‘My mom’s bootstraps are all that’s holding me up now.’ Wiedemer is among at least 13,000 Coloradans who are receiving six weeks of Tier IV federal unemployment benefits for those out of work at least 94 weeks…”

• Floridians may get fewer federal unemployment benefits, if state insurance cut, By Marcia Heroux Pounds, March 6, 2011, Sun Sentinel: “Florida residents who lose their jobs will get fewer unemployment benefits than residents in any other state if a House bill reducing benefits is passed, says a national advocacy group for the unemployed. Republican legislators said the cuts are necessary to protect Florida’s business climate. But benefits experts say Florida’s unemployed will get penalized twice. At issue are the federal unemployment benefits that kick in after state benefits are exhausted. House sponsors of HB 7005 said reducing the state’s payment would not cut the federal entitlement the unemployed can claim. But not everyone agrees…”
• Fla. House gives first OK to reduce jobless benefits, By Jason Garcia, March 9, 2011, Orlando Sentinel: “The Florida House of Representatives tentatively approved a plan Wednesday that would slash unemployment benefits for out-of-work Floridians and pass much of the savings on to businesses. The sweeping legislation would both cut the maximum number of weeks unemployed workers could receive state payments, from 26 to 20, and reduce the tax levied against businesses to pay for the program. It would also make it easier for businesses to deny benefits. A top priority of the state’s business lobby, the unemployment-compensation package was the first substantive measure taken up on the floor of the House in the 2011 legislative session, which opened Tuesday. An estimated 400,000 Floridians are currently receiving unemployment benefits, as the state’s unemployment rate remains stuck at about 12 percent…”

As unemployment insurance debts mount, interest payments loom, By Pamela M. Prah, February 16, 2011, Stateline.org: “For more than two years, stubbornly high unemployment has been taking a toll on the nation’s workforce, but for states, the mounting costs of paying benefits to millions of people who can’t find work are only beginning to become clear. Come this fall, some 30 states will be on the hook for paying $1.3 billion to the federal government for loans they took out to keep sending unemployment checks to workers who’ve lost their jobs. And that’s just the interest. In total, states owe the feds more than $42 billion, a tab they hope will evaporate on its own as the economy improves but will require decreasing benefits or raising taxes on businesses if it doesn’t…”

Proposals put squeeze on Florida’s jobless, By Jeff Ostrowski, February 13, 2011, Palm Beach Post: “Mark Wampole figures his weekly unemployment checks are the only thing saving him from homelessness, and he grows frustrated when he hears of proposals by state lawmakers and Gov. Rick Scott to tighten eligibility for unemployment compensation. ‘Without it, I’d starve,’ said Wampole, a laid-off welder who lives in Palm Beach County. ‘I’d have to live under a bridge and hope I could find somebody to feed me. It’s that serious.’ Job seekers surviving on unemployment benefits that top out at $275 a week aren’t the only ones facing a financial squeeze. Business groups and Republican lawmakers point to dire finances for the state’s unemployment system, which has been sapped by an economic downturn that left more than 1 million Floridians seeking work. Unemployment benefits are paid through an insurance system that gets little attention in good times. Employers pay a small premium every year, and workers who are laid off collect benefits…”