Economics
Cascading Job Losses Shred U.S. Safety Net: ‘We Were Unprepared’
- Unemployment claims keep pouring in as states struggle to cope
- Computer systems buckle and jobs offices frantically staff up
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In Michigan and New York you can only call on certain days of the week, depending on your last name. In New Jersey, it’s hourly slots based on your social security number. Ask for help in Texas and you might end up engaging with a guy called Larry, who’s really just a bot.
Across the U.S., state governments are scrambling –- and sometimes failing -- to cope with the historic surge in unemployment claims triggered by the coronavirus recession.
An additional 6.6 million people filed for unemployment benefits last week according to new numbers out Thursday. That took the staggering toll to 16.8 million claims in three weeks, or one in 10 American workers.