
Union Unemployment Insurance Navigators Would Be a Boon to Jobless Workers
Involving unions and worker groups in navigator programs would help more people understand and get the unemployment benefits they deserve.
Media Contact
Government Affairs
Unions have helped workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in a number of ways, including by improving safety procedures for grocery store workers, securing paid leave for postal service workers, and lifting pay for some essential workers. They have even helped jobless Americans sign up for state unemployment benefits, which is far too often a daunting process.
Unfortunately, during the COVID-19 recession, many unemployed workers faced difficulties accessing unemployment benefits—a long-standing problem for the U.S. unemployment insurance (UI) system even before the pandemic. Over the past several decades, only about one-third of all jobless workers received unemployment benefits, many because of restrictive eligibility requirements, but many others because of a lack of program awareness and the hurdles involved in applying for benefits. Indeed, some studies suggest that only about half of jobless workers eligible for unemployment insurance receive benefits.
The above excerpt was originally published in Center for American Progress. Click here to view the full article.
The positions of American Progress, and our policy experts, are independent, and the findings and conclusions presented are those of American Progress alone. A full list of supporters is available here. American Progress would like to acknowledge the many generous supporters who make our work possible.
Authors

Malkie Wall
Research Associate
You Might Also Like

Lessons From Italian Unions’ Historic Agreement With Amazon

What’s the Point? Unions Haven’t Been This Popular Since the 1960s

New Opportunities for the Biden-Harris Administration To Create Good Jobs for LGBTQI+ Workers
