When I served as Deputy Labor Secretary for the state of Kansas, and now as I work with unemployment insurance (UI) agencies across the country, one of the most prominent and concerning issues facing states that I consistently see is regarding funding. Specifically, the federal administrative grant does not cover the actual costs of administering [...]
In the wake of the pandemic, states administering unemployment insurance (UI) faced a rapid and overwhelming workload due to the wave of customers seeking UI benefits. While the pandemic served as a stress test for agencies to meet demand, it also put a spotlight on their technology systems and identified significant weaknesses. States recognized these [...]
An unplanned and underfunded strain on unemployment insurance agency systems will inevitably happen again; the question is not if, but when. So how can you ensure you are maximizing the capacity of your existing trained staff and serving as many customers as possible with the resources you have every day?
