Unemployment: A Closer Look

Cover......Page 1
UNEMPLOYMENT: A CLOSER LOOK......Page 3
UNEMPLOYMENT: A CLOSER LOOK......Page 5
CONTENTS......Page 7
PREFACE......Page 9
SUMMARY......Page 13
INTRODUCTION......Page 14
UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION......Page 16
Administration......Page 17
Alternative Base Period......Page 18
Qualifying Wages or Employment......Page 19
2009 Stimulus Provisions Relating to Regular Unemployment Comp-ensation......Page 20
Data Collection Considerations......Page 23
Federal Unemployment Tax Act......Page 24
ARRA Temporary Changes Federal Financing of Unemployment Benefits......Page 25
Outstanding Loans from the Federal Unemployment Account......Page 28
FEDERAL ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION......Page 29
EMERGENCY UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION PROGRAM......Page 30
Previous Temporary Unemployment Compensation Extensions......Page 31
All Tiers Terminate November 30, 2010, with Grandfathering......Page 32
Exhausted Regular UC Benefit......Page 33
At or After the Period of Tier II EUC08 Exhaustion, the State Must Currently Have At Least 6% Unemployment Rate......Page 34
No Retroactive Payments......Page 35
EXTENDED BENEFIT PROGRAM......Page 36
EB Triggers May be Reviewed in 2010......Page 37
EB Eligibility Requirements Beyond Requirements for Regular UC......Page 39
Methods for Determining 20 Weeks of Full-Time Insured Employment......Page 40
2009 Stimulus Provisions Affecting EB Level and Duration......Page 41
SHORT-TIME COMPENSATION (WORK SHARING)......Page 42
POLICY PROPOSALS THAT TARGET UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT EXHAUSTEES......Page 44
2010 Budget......Page 45
Unemployment Compensation Modernization......Page 46
Temporary Waiver of Interest Payments and the Accrual of Interest on Advances to State Unemployment Funds......Page 47
P.L. 111-92, The Worker, Homeownership and Business Assistance Act of 2009......Page 48
P.L. 111-205, The Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2010......Page 49
Current Legislation......Page 50
APPENDIX A. UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BENEFITS......Page 51
APPENDIX B. SUMMARY OF EUC08 PROGRAM......Page 52
End Notes......Page 54
SUMMARY......Page 57
THE UNEMPLOYMENT PROBLEM......Page 59
POLICY STEPS TAKEN THROUGH 2009......Page 62
POLICY PROPOSALS......Page 63
December 2009 House Proposal (H.R. 2847)......Page 64
Public Service Jobs......Page 65
Senate Proposals......Page 66
President Obama’s Proposal......Page 68
Discussion......Page 69
Spending, Transfers, and Tax Cuts......Page 70
Job Credits......Page 71
ISSUES IN FINANCING JOB CREATION PROPOSALS......Page 73
Redirecting TARP Funds to Finance Proposals......Page 74
End Notes......Page 76
SUMMARY......Page 81
Expiring Provision: FUTA Surtax......Page 82
THE UNEMPLOYMENT TRUST FUND......Page 83
The Unemployment Trust Fund and the Federal Budget......Page 84
Federal Unemployment Taxes Are Credited to the ESAA......Page 85
Each Month, the ESAA Distributes 20% of the Net Monthly Activity to the EUCA......Page 86
Other Unemployment Trust Fund Expenditures (Reed Act Distributions)......Page 87
Loans to Insolvent Accounts......Page 88
End Notes......Page 89
SUMMARY......Page 91
UCX Eligibility and Benefit Level......Page 92
UCX Financing......Page 93
Military Spouse Exception......Page 94
IMPACT OF MILITARY SERVICE ON EMPLOYERS’ STATE UNEMPLOYMENT TAXES......Page 96
End Notes......Page 97
DOES UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE INHIBIT JOB SEARCH?......Page 99
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DOES NOT DISCOURAGE JOB SEARCH BEHAVIOR......Page 100
THE CURRENT LABOR MARKET PROVIDES FEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR UNEMPLOYED WORKERS......Page 101
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE AS EFFECTIVE FISCAL STIMULUS......Page 102
End Notes......Page 103
MOTHER’S DAY 2010: AN UPDATE ON WORKING MOMS......Page 105
FAMILIES DEPEND ON MOTHERS’ EMPLOYMENT......Page 106
MARRIED MOTHERS SEARCH FOR WORK TO IMPROVE THEIR FAMILIES’ ECONOMIC SECURITY......Page 107
SINGLE MOTHERS CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE WITH HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT......Page 108
THE PART-TIME PENALTY CAN BE EVEN GREATER FOR MOTHERS......Page 109
End Notes......Page 110
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY......Page 111
VAST MAJORITY OF MOTHERS IN THE LABOR FORCE, MOST WORK FULL-TIME......Page 112
AS RECESSION CONTINUES, WORKING MOTHERS FACE RISING UNEMPLOYMENT......Page 113
Women of Color Are Faring the Worst in this Recession......Page 115
SUMMARY......Page 117
End Notes......Page 118
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY......Page 121
CONCLUSION......Page 131
End Notes......Page 132
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY......Page 133
BACKGROUND......Page 135
HISPANICS FACE HIGHER UNEMPLOYMENT REGARDLESS OF GENDER AND AGE......Page 136
UNEMPLOYMENT SPELLS ARE TYPICALLY SHORTER FOR HISPANICS......Page 138
ONE-QUARTER OF THE HISPANIC LABOR FORCE IS UNDEREMPLOYED......Page 139
HISPANIC UNEMPLOYMENT IS DRIVEN BY INDUSTRY SECTOR AND GEOGRAPHY......Page 141
ADDRESSING THE PROBLEMS FACING HISPANIC WORKERS......Page 144
End Notes......Page 146
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY......Page 149
BACKGROUND......Page 151
UNEMPLOYMENT IS HIGHEST AMONG TEENS......Page 152
EDUCATION IMPROVES EMPLOYMENT PROSPECTS FOR YOUNG WORKERS......Page 153
YOUNG WORKERS ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY CONCENTRATED IN INDUSTRIES HARD-HIT BY RECESSION......Page 154
YOUNG WORKERS MAKE UP A DISPROPORTIONATE SHARE OF THE UNEMPLOYED......Page 156
HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT CAN HAVE LASTING CONSEQUENCES......Page 158
ACTION NOW CAN MITIGATE THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF UNEMPLOYMENT......Page 159
End Notes......Page 161
EXTENDING UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BENEFITS: THE COST OF INACTION FOR DISABLED WORKERS......Page 163
UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS BOOST THE ECONOMY AS A WHOLE......Page 164
SPENDING ON UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS NOW SAVES ON DISABILITY INSURANCE LATER......Page 165
End Notes......Page 167
CHAPTER SOURCES......Page 169
INDEX......Page 171