Wyden Statement on Unemployment Insurance Report from Labor Department Inspector General

Washington, D.C.—Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today released the following statement on an unemployment insurance report from the Labor Department’s Inspector General:  

“It’s no secret that states struggled mightily to get enhanced jobless benefits out the door during the COVID-19 economic crisis. These challenges were the result of inadequate state benefits and 53 separate state systems, many of which were neglected for decades and running on 60-year-old technology. A complete overhaul of unemployment administration is critical here, and my legislation would set new standards and move us toward one website, instead of 53. If we don’t do this now, we will see the same problems during the next recession, with unacceptable levels of fraud, and jobless workers waiting months and spending hours and hours on the phone to get the benefits they have earned.”

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