Inadequate US state unemployment systems leave millions vulnerable

Unprepared system leaves unemployed Americans vulnerable to poverty, losing homes and struggling to pay bills or feed families

The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic left millions of Americans jobless in the US, overwhelmingly state unemployment benefit systems that did not have the staffing, technology or resources to handle the influx of those who lost their jobs.

Federal pandemic relief added an additional $600 a week to unemployment benefits which was cut to $300 a week, as most state benefits provide only a fraction of the value of weekly wages for the average worker.