June 11, 2009
Noon-1:30 p.m. ET
Panelists: 
Rich Hobbie, executive director, National Association of State Workforce Agencies
Doug Holmes, president, Strategic Services on Unemployment and Worker’s Compensation
Margaret Simms, institute fellow, Urban Institute (moderator)
• Wayne Vroman, senior fellow, Urban Institute
Unemployment insurance (UI) helps millions of out-of-work Americans provide for themselves and their families. An automatic stabilizer, it can also help to maintain consumption when the economy is in a downturn. Today’s prolonged and severe recession is putting unemployment insurance to the test, especially its ability to aid low-income families, who are unlikely to have savings that could see them through these tough times.
The federal stimulus package has two groups of provisions that affect UI. One extends benefit periods and increases compensation for eligible individuals. The second set allows or encourages states to expand eligibility by changing such features as the alternative benefit period or including previously excluded categories of people, such as workers seeking only part-time employment.
The panelists will address the following questions:
• How well is the unemployment insurance program functioning in this recession?
• Who gets program benefits?
• Which states are taking advantage of federal options or incentives to expand eligibility?
• Which new features are most frequently selected?
• Which features would help low-income workers and their families most?
• What are the key UI administration issues in this recession?
• How does the U.S. system compare with those of other developed countries?
Resources:
- Bios (pdf)
- Wayne Vroman: The Recession and Unemployment Insurance (pdf)
- Rich Hobbie: How well is this program functioning in the current recession? (pdf)
- Doug Holmes presentation (pdf)
- Weathering Job Loss (link)
At the Urban Institute
2100 M Street N.W., 5th Floor, Washington, D.C.
