Video shows struggle of being jobless in North Carolina

Fixes needed for unemployment insurance

A new video produced by the NC Justice Center shows working people in North Carolina struggling to survive joblessness until they can find work thanks to an unemployment insurance system crippled by changes made in 2013. Those cuts, which restricted eligibility and cut the amount and duration of weekly benefits, are "just one example of policy choices that put working people at a disadvantage when they have lost a job and need a hand up the most," says Alexandra Sirota, director of the North Carolina Budget & Tax Center:

By failing to design the system to cover a significant share of those who have lost their job through no fault of their own and to provide payment that is relative to the wages earned through prior work, the system is not as effective at ensuring that jobless workers can meet basic needs and stay attached to the labor market thus reducing demand for businesses goods and services.

It is time to fix NC’s unemployment insurance system so that it provides meaningful support for laid off workers, their families and their communities as they work to get back on their feet.

Watch the video, North Carolina's Jobless Workers: