WASHINGTON—The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits dropped to a 14-month low last week as companies held onto their workers amid a growing labor shortage that helped to curb employment growth in April. The scramble for workers comes as the reopening economy is experiencing a boom in demand, resulting in widespread shortages…
Orange County Restaurants Struggling to Hire Employees
Some Orange County restaurants say they’re offering bonuses to encourage new hires as they struggle to recruit new employees. Newport Beach-based Chipotle Mexican Grill announced May 10 that it would increase average hourly wages to $15 by June, in an attempt to incentivize workers to join and stay on their team. “Our restaurants have remained open during [the pandemic], so the…
Many Americans Fall Victim to Unemployment Aid Fraud
WASHINGTON—Generous unemployment benefits put in place by the CARES Act and subsequent relief packages have become an easy target for identity thieves and other criminals since the beginning of the pandemic last year. Most states have been hit by fraud committed on a vast scale, mainly by international organized crime rings. In March, the Labor…
Job Openings Soar to Record High as Businesses Struggle to Find Workers
American employers posted a record number of available jobs in March, highlighting the hiring woes of businesses, with some blaming the pandemic-related federal unemployment boost for sidelining workers. Job openings rose nearly 8 percent month-over-month to 8.1 million in March, the highest number in the history of the series, which dates back to December 2000,…
GOP Governors Slash Unemployment Benefits as Businesses Plead for Workers
Expanded federal unemployment benefits that were implemented during last year’s pandemic relief efforts are ending earlier than scheduled in Arkansas, Montana, and South Carolina—and Florida is expected to follow suit as Republican governors nationwide respond to pleas from businesses to encourage Americans to return to work. “We absolutely can put more people to work,” Florida…
Weak Jobs Report Raises Doubts About Biden’s Economic Policies
WASHINGTON—U.S. jobs growth for April was far lower than what the market had predicted, adding to the worries that excessive stimulus payments could have undesirable side effects in the long term, making the road to recovery rocky. The April jobs report was the biggest miss on record. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the…
US Jobless Claims Plunge to 576,000, Lowest Since Pandemic
WASHINGTON—The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits tumbled last week to 576,000, a post-COVID low and a hopeful sign that layoffs are easing as the economy recovers from the pandemic recession. The Labor Department said Thursday that applications plummeted by 193,000 from a revised 769,000 a week earlier. Jobless claims are now down sharply…
As EDD Problems Persist, California Lawmakers Take Action
As California’s Employment Development Department (EDD) scrambles to resolve the ballooning fiasco resulting from jobless claims during the pandemic, state lawmakers are saying enough is enough. Recently released official reports cite numerous systematic problems with the agency, resulting in tens of billions of dollars paid out for fraudulent claims while needy citizens wait to receive…
What to Do If You Are a Victim of Unemployment Fraud
Unemployment fraud in the United States has reached dramatic levels during the pandemic—the Labor Department inspector general’s office estimates that more than $63 billion has been paid out improperly through fraud or errors since March 2020. Criminals are seizing on the opportunity created by the pandemic. Using data stolen from prior data breaches, the criminal…
Estimate: Millions Lost Benefits as Congress Failed to Meet Trump Demand for $2,000 Stimulus Checks
Millions of people lost federal unemployment benefits on Saturday as Congress failed to meet President Donald Trump’s demand for $2,000 stimulus checks to be added to the pandemic relief bill passed by both chambers last week. According to an estimate by The Century Foundation (TCF), 12 million people lost unemployment benefits when two programs funded…
-
Recent Posts
-
Archives
- May 2025
- April 2025
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- September 2013
- July 2013
- March 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- December 1
-
Meta