Opinion
Pay for jobs, not long searches
NC ought to consider replicating Idaho’s approach. By changing when benefits are paid, it reduces work disincentives without inviting accusations of stinginess.
News
State audit finds persistent delays in NC’s unemployment benefit system
An audit recently published by the Office of the State Auditor details continued issues the North Carolina Division of Employment Security (DES) has with its ability to provide unemployment benefits in a timely fashion.
Opinion
Lawmakers should get serious about fraud
As Russia’s full-scale war against the independent country of Ukraine approaches its 20th month, the role of the United States in arming, training, and funding the Ukrainians has become a point of contention between Joe Biden and some of his potential GOP opponents, as well as among Republicans on Capitol Hill. Does the issue deserve...
Opinion
Yes, they’ll waste our money again
We will probably never know how much of our money was squandered during the pandemic by reckless politicians. But here are two damning numbers to start with: $400 billion and $855,000 per job year. The first is a reasonable estimate of unemployment-insurance payments either improperly paid or stolen by fraudulent claimants. As you may remember,...
News
Nickel stresses bipartisanship in farewell to the NCGA during press conference
Sen. Wiley Nickel, D-Wake, reflected on his time representing the 16th District in the North Carolina General Assembly and his plans for the future as a newly elected U.S. senator in the 13th District Tuesday at a farewell press conference.
Opinion
Stop pushing political panic buttons
Remember when rapid automation was going to render large swaths of the workforce unemployed? Politicians and other professional worrywarts warned that robots would displace production workers, that self-driving vehicles and drones would displace truckers and delivery personnel, and the algorithms and kiosks would displace service and managerial employees. Radical responses such as universal basic income...
Opinion
Feds blew it on COVID relief
The federal government’s fiscal response to COVID was excessive, poorly targeted, and badly administered. Its costs will burden us for many years to come.
News
Unanimous General Assembly votes to block unemployment insurance tax hike
State lawmakers voted unanimously Wednesday to block an automatic tax increase on employers. Senate Bill 311 would maintain the state’s current tax for funding unemployment insurance. A 45-o vote in the state Senate came 90 minutes after the House approved the measure, 110-o. The unemployment insurance provision was added to another bill already in negotiation...
Opinion
Unemployment news isn’t so rosy
A job-placement bonus is a reasonable response, especially as an alternative to a more-foolish expenditure of North Carolina’s federal funds.
Opinion
Enforce rules to ease labor shortage
North Carolina is among the states already taking steps to tighten the rules and shut off payments to workers who refuse to accept job offers. It’s good news that the Biden administration won’t stand in the way.
News
N.C. ranks last at getting unemployment payments to applicants on time
Ashley Arthur, a Raleigh resident and former software company employee, was laid off in January — before the coronavirus pandemic buried the N.C. Division of Employment Security in new claims from laid-off workers. Charlotte residents Tim and Dee Worley, both former professional athletes who now work in nonprofits and as independent contractors, were hit by...
News
State officials not releasing unemployment payment data
A weekly report issued Thursday by the U.S. Department of Labor says 73,597 North Carolina workers should receive unemployment insurance benefits for the week ending March 21. How many payments are going out? Neither Gov. Roy Cooper nor officials with the Division of Employment Security will say. Cooper said Sunday benefit payments would go out...
