Out-dated processes slowed unemployment to those who needed it when pandemic began

Name: Out-dated processes slowed unemployment to those who needed it when pandemic began
Uploaded: 2022-03-14T21:55:21.000Z
Duration: 2 min 3 s
Description: North Carolina's unemployment benefits office failed to distribute quickly enough $438 million in initial payments to displaced workers in 2020 and early 2021, state auditors said Monday while scrutinizing the agency's work during the pandemic. The audit in part blamed the claims process and poor monitoring for the delays.

North Carolina's unemployment benefits office failed to distribute quickly enough $438 million in initial payments to displaced workers in 2020 and early 2021, state auditors said Monday while scrutinizing the agency's work during the pandemic. The audit in part blamed the claims process and poor monitoring for the delays.

Posted 3/14/2022, 9:55:21 PM

ADMISSION TO NC STATE. THE 3

POINT OH, GPA FOR THEIR

ASSOCIATE DEGREE DURING THE

HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC, THE

STATE UNEMPLOYMENT OFFICE

FAILED TO GET NEARLY HALF A

BILLION DOLLARS OUT IN TIME TO

THE PEOPLE NEEDED IT. THAT'S

ACCORDING TO A NEW REPORT TODAY

FROM THE STATE AUDITOR'S

OFFICE. TIMELINESS IS SOMETHING

THE STATE'S DIVISION OF

ECONOMIC SECURITY STRUGGLED

WITH EVEN BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.

WRAL, STATE REPORTER. TRAVIS

FAIN JOINS US NOW VIA ZOOM.

TRAVIS, HOW DEEP DOES THIS

PROBLEM GO?

>> WELL, IF YOU'RE DEPENDING ON

UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS TO PAY

BILLS PRETTY DEEP, INDEED.

YOU KNOW WHAT THE REPORT FOUND,

AS YOU SAID, IS THAT MORE MORE

THAN OFTEN THAN NOT TOOK 3

WEEKS OR MORE MANY TIMES MORE

THAN A MONTH TO SEND OUT THAT

FIRST UNEMPLOYMENT CHECK DURING

TWENTY-TWENTY IN 2021. THE

REASON WHY IT'S KIND OF OBVIOUS

YOU CAN SEE THIS MASSIVE INFLUX

OF CLAIMS WHEN THE PANDEMIC HIT

AND GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN ORDERS

CLOSED. BUSINESSES WAS FAR

WORSE THAN THE GREAT RECESSION

BACK IN 9 STATE AUDITOR'S

OFFICE SAID MORE THAN

430 MILLION DOLLARS IN FIRST

PAYMENTS WERE DELAYED. BUT WE

WEREN'T DOING GREAT ON THIS

BEFORE THE PANDEMIC. EITHER

THIS OTHER CHART SHOWS THE

FIRST PAYMENT TIME WHEN IT'S

GOING BACK A DECADE COMPARED

TO A NATIONWIDE AVERAGE IS IN A

FEDERAL BENCHMARK. YOU SEE

NORTH CAROLINA CONSISTENTLY

UNDERPERFORMED THE NATIONAL

AVERAGE AND THEY'LL HIT THE

BENCHMARK IN MOST YEARS SO WHAT

IS GOING TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS?

BASICALLY DIVISION OF

EMPLOYMENT SECURITY? THEY

OVERSEE ALL THIS FOR GOVERNOR

ROY COOPER'S ADMINISTRATION.

THEY SAY THEY'RE WORKING ON A

PLAN. BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS

THE PROGRAM GAVE OUT 14 BILLION

DOLLARS IN LESS THAN 2 YEARS.

IT CAME FROM 9 DIFFERENT

PROGRAMS. THAT KIND OF GOT

LAYERED. ONE ON TOP OF ANOTHER

AS THE PANDEMIC GOING ON IN

CONGRESS, PASS MORE RELIEF,

EVEN SO I DON'T THINK ANYONE

DISPUTES IMPROVEMENTS CAN BE

MADE. AND THE S IS PROMISING,

YOU KNOW, MORE INFORMATION TO

COME. BUT THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE

NOTED IN THIS REPORT THAT THE

RESPONSE FROM D E S DIDN'T

INCLUDE A TIMETABLE THAT

INCLUDE A NAME, A SPECIFIC

PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR

IMPLEMENTING CHANGES ANY SORT

OF OVERALL YOU HAVE TO THINK

WOULD PROBABLY INVOLVE THE

STATE LEGISLATURE REACHED OUT

THIS MORNING. THE TOP LEADERS

THERE AS WELL AS THE GOVERNOR'S

OFFICE ON NEXT STEPS. I HAVE

NOT HEARD ANYTHING BACK JUST

YET. ALL RIGHT. LET US KNOW