Another privilege denied disproportionally to Black people is the ability to work remotely to protect themselves, their families and their communities from the spread of COVID-19. According to the Economic Policy Institute, only 1 in 5 Black employees are able to telework. Those who are keeping America running right now — those on the front lines of this pandemic such as grocery store clerks, home health aides and warehouse employees — are more likely to be Black. What choice do these folks have but to show up for work? Having to make the crucial decision of risking your life while living paycheck to paycheck is largely falling on Black Americans.
The DC Line
May 5, 2020
The Economic Policy Institute reported that for every 10 people who successfully filed for unemployment over the last month, three to four others tried to apply but couldn’t get through the system, and another two people were unable to because the process was too difficult.
The Independent
May 5, 2020
Not to mention the effect the loss of employment, and the resulting financial stress, is having on millions. This week, the number of jobless claims increased by 3.84 million, bringing the unemployment tally to a whopping 30.3 million, which experts say is an undercount. “The Economic Policy Institute earlier this week estimated that the current claims level probably undercounts by as much as 12 million those who are eligible for benefits but not getting them due to the inability to file or other roadblocks,” reports CNBC.
The Patriot Post
May 5, 2020
A survey conducted in mid-April by Economic Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C. think tank, shows that for every 10 people who said they successfully filed for unemployment benefits during the previous four weeks, 3-4 people “tried to apply but could not get through the system to make a claim.”
Gainesville Times
May 5, 2020
The left-leaning Economic Policy Institute found that for every 10 people able to successfully file for unemployment, three to four couldn’t get through the system to make a claim, and one to two chose not to because it was too difficult. In total, the study concludes that 9 million to 14 million eligible people were thwarted from accessing benefits by these systemic failures.
The Washington Examiner
May 5, 2020
There are other avenues to protect small businesses and their employees in this time of crisis, and these mechanisms would reach more people and help more communities. For example, as the Economic Policy Institute notes: A paycheck guarantee program would be far simpler to administer and would more effectively stabilize employment and business in this moment.
NC Policy Watch
May 5, 2020
This week, the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) announced that although some 26 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits since the crisis began — a number that rose to 30 million since its study was published — that number drastically understates the economic devastation in the US.
In a survey published on Tuesday, the think tank found that up to 13.9 million other Americans were eligible for the benefits. A portion of those people applied but never had their documents processed. Others “did not try to apply because it was too difficult to do so.”
Business Insider
May 5, 2020
The Covid-19 pandemic has yanked the bottom out of the economy, and the working class is plunging into the debt hole first. In 2019, most Americans lacked the savings to cover an emergency. Now, over 26.5 million people have filed for unemployment in the United States since mid-March, and countless more have been unable to file for benefits as overwhelmed state unemployment agencies cannot keep up with demand. (A recent survey from the Economic Policy Institute estimates between 8.9 million and 13.9 million people who should qualify have not gained access to needed benefits.) Meanwhile, countless others have been furloughed, have had their hourly work reduced, or have lost income as they instead take care of sick family or homebound children. Some economists are predicting unemployment rates rivaling or even exceeding Great Depression figures. The $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief package offsetting the enormous, unexpected financial catastrophe includes considerable support for homeowners, allowing people with government-backed mortgages to skip payments for up to a year, instead adding them to the mortgage balance. This necessary economic balm has no counterpart for renters, though. Payments are still due. The emergency is here.
WIRED
May 5, 2020
1.
Another 3.8 million U.S. workers filed new claims for unemployment benefits last week, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The new figures bring the total over six weeks to more than 30 million as the coronavirus crisis continues to shut down businesses. The once unthinkable total could even be an undercount, economists say, as many states have been overwhelmed by the rush of applications for unemployment benefits, which Congress have extended to include self-employed taxpayers. A study by the Economic Policy Institute found that about 50 percent more people than were counted might have been eligible but found the process too daunting. “The problem is even bigger than the data suggest,” said Elise Gould, a senior economist with the left-leaning research institute. [The New York Times]
Yahoo
May 5, 2020