But a survey released on Tuesday by the progressive think tank The Economic Policy Institute showed that millions of Americans who have lost their jobs during the pandemic have been unable to file for unemployment benefits as the systems around the US buckle under the sheer volume of new claims.
Al Jazeera News
May 1, 2020
Now, Congress has passed several economic aid packages, most importantly a big boost to unemployment insurance and a bailout for small businesses. Yet state unemployment systems are so janky (sometimes deliberately so to keep taxes on business down) that perhaps half of people eligible for benefits have not received them, per a recent survey from the Economic Policy Institute. And the small business grant program has already run out of money twice; the recent allocation of $350 billion ran out in minutes.
The Week
May 1, 2020
Some people can’t get through: According to survey data released Tuesday by the Economic Policy Institute, for every 10 people who filed for unemployment benefits from mid-March to mid-April, three to four were unable to get through to their state systems, and another two didn’t try because they thought it was too difficult to do so. The survey results suggest that in addition to the 21.5 million people who filed for benefits during the four-week period from March 22 to April 18, another 7.8 to 12.2 million people would have applied had they been able to do so.
“These findings imply the official count of unemployment insurance claims likely drastically understates the extent of employment reductions and the need for economic relief during the coronavirus crisis,” the study’s authors wrote.
The Fiscal Times
May 1, 2020
For every 10 workers who successfully filed for unemployment benefits, as many as six additional workers either tried to apply but couldn’t get through the system or didn’t try because the process was too difficult, according to Economic Policy Institute research released Tuesday.
Some 21.5 million workers filed for unemployment benefits between March 22 and April 18. The difficulties associated with filing prevented another 7.8 million to 12.2 million workers from filing, the EPI study estimated, based on its analysis of survey data from nearly 25,000 respondents.
Bloomberg
May 1, 2020
Although economists can track layoffs via new unemployment claims, tracking the uninsured in real time is trickier, as each worker can carry insurance for multiple family members, and some are able to shift to other sources of coverage. An analysis by the Economic Policy Institute estimated that 9.2 million workers were at risk of losing their health insurance coverage.
Kaiser Health News
May 1, 2020
The Labor Department doesn’t release jobless claims by industry. So, building on the work of economist Ben Zipperer and his colleagues at the Economic Policy Institute, we analyzed industry-specific new unemployment-benefit claims from 14 states that publish them. (For a full list, see the charts below.)
The Washington Post
May 1, 2020
According to a survey by the Economic Policy Institute, up to 12 million more people have lost jobs but still haven’t filed a claim for benefits, either because they couldn’t get through their state’s overwhelmed system or they didn’t try yet.
“These findings imply the official count of unemployment insurance claims likely drastically understates the extent of employment reductions,” wrote Ben Zipperer and Elise Gould, economists at EPI.
Boston Herald
May 1, 2020
A key reason for that emerges from a survey by the Economic Policy Institute. It found that up to 12 million more people have lost jobs but haven’t filed a claim for benefits, either because they couldn’t get through their state’s overwhelmed system or they didn’t try, perhaps because it was too difficult.
Tribune Chronicle
May 1, 2020
Still, the job losses may be far worse than government figures indicate. And that might dictate how this downturn, unique and breathtaking in its severity, is tackled. A study by the Economic Policy Institute found that roughly 50 percent more people than counted as filing claims in a recent four-week period may have qualified for benefits but were stymied in applying or didn’t even try because they found the process too formidable.
Hunt Scanlon Media
May 1, 2020
Another 3.8 million Americans officially joined Atwood in the unemployment line last week, for a total of 30 million people who’ve lost their jobs since March. And that 30 million unemployed total could actually be even higher, according to the Economic Policy Institute. The center-left think tank reports that up to 12 million people were unable to file a claim on their state’s unemployment system between mid-March and mid-April.
CBS News
May 1, 2020