Washington — More than 2 million people receiving unemployment will lose coverage in December if Congress does not extend their benefits. In a report published in November, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) concluded that certain federal unemployment benefits “will still be available in 10 states. … [However], in all other states unemployed workers who exhaust their 26 weeks of regular [state] benefits without having found a job will receive no further benefits.”
The number will likely increase by several hundred thousand people in the first quarter of next year. To understand the arithmetic behind the 2 million people whose support is at risk, the problem needs to be examined state-by-state. Based on research published by CBPP and the National Employment Law Project and interviews with CBPP’s Chief Economist Chad Stone and NELP policy analyst Rebecca Dixon, 24/7 Wall St. has examined unemployment insurance programs for each state and the potential losses to their residents should federal benefits run out.
Unemployment insurance is the government’s primary means of providing l help to people without jobs. States finance their own “Regular Program,” providing unemployment insurance benefits to residents for up to 26 weeks, which is typically based on a person’s earnings over a year.
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