PandemicOversight.gov

Historic Unemployment. Record Relief.

We looked at more than 40 reports from 16 state auditors to see how their states handled jobless benefits during the pandemic. Here's your snapshot.  

In April 2020, the unemployment rate hit 15% – the highest rate since 1948.

The federal government responded by making $716 billion in unemployment benefits available to states through three new programs. This caused a surge in claims. 

Louisiana had claims for unemployment benefits increase by 3,536% between January 2020 and April 2020.

Oklahoma paid out 10x the unemployment benefits it does in a typical year.

Washington received 180,000 claims one week in March 2020. Normally, weekly claims rarely top 10,000.

The surge in claims overwhelmed State Workforce Agencies.

In Ohio, it took more than 70 days to process nearly half of its first unemployment benefit payments. The State Workforce Agency eventually hired temporary staff to help.

One of the new unemployment insurance programs didn't require proof of income or identity. Fraud became rampant. 

Arizona paid $1.6 billion in benefits to individuals that applied using a stolen identity.

California estimated that it sent $800 million in benefits to 45,000 prisoners.

Read the full report for more.

And check out our interactive timeline for a refresher on how fraudsters used stolen identities to pilfer pandemic relief - like unemployment benefits.

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