The Pew Charitable Trusts - State and Consumer Initiatives about

Washington Post: Sequester Means 11 Percent Cut in Unemployment Benefits

The fiscal battle in Washington that led to $85 billion in spending cuts across the federal government has not spared unemployment benefits for almost two million out-of-work Americans, who are being hit by an 11 percent reduction in payments this fiscal year.

Hard Choices: Navigating the Economic Shock of Unemployment

This report examines how American families cope with unexpected financial setbacks, with a focus on how periods of unemployment affect family economic security and mobility.

States Hope for Rebound in Construction

Construction jobs are slowing coming back to the states hit hardest by the recession and that includes states you might not think of, like Idaho.

How Much Protection Does a College Degree Afford?

This report provides an in-depth look at young college graduates’ employment opportunities as compared to less-educated groups.

Continuing U.S. Trend, North Carolina Helps Military Spouses With Licensing

Governor Bev Perdue signed into law Tuesday (July 24) legislation aimed at helping military spouses land jobs after they arrive at North Carolina military bases, continuing a trend in statehouses to reduce barriers of entry into the workforce for military spouses across the U.S. Under the law, military spouses tr

Ingrid Schroeder and Erin Currier: The American Dream

Experts from the Pew Fiscal Analysis Initiative and the Economic Mobility Project offer their combined insight on the landscape of Americans’ circumstances today as compared to other economic downturns in the nation’s recent history.

Long-Term Unemployment, Five Ways to Look at It

In April 2010, the Pew Fiscal Analysis Initiative released A Year or More: The High Cost of Long-Term Unemployment,which examined the extent of the country’s long-term (LT) unemployment problem and its impact on the nation's fiscal condition. The report defined “long-term unemployment” as a jobless period of a year or longer.

Sarah Emmans: States' Revenue Estimating

Sarah McLaughlin Emmans explains the process states use to forecast revenue, discusses the challenges that they continue to face, and outlines measures some states have used to improve accuracy.

Government Employment Grew in 22 States, Analysis Finds

TODAY'S TAKE: An analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics finds that 22 states added government jobs between September 2007 and September 2011, a period that has been known for public worker layoffs.

Study: California Is Best at Retaining Skilled Workers

ECONOMY & BUSINESS BEAT: Despite its well-known fiscal and economic problems, California is best at preventing "brain drain," according to a new report.

California, New Jersey Offer Low-Fee Unemployment Cards

SOCIAL POLICY BEAT: California and New Jersey offer the best prepaid cards with the fewest fees to access unemployment benefits … Florida uses Twitter to help find homes for foster children ... Nine states could face penalties for missing welfare's work participation thresholds, and other social policy news.

Labor Offer Keeps New Jersey Tolls From Going Private

MANAGEMENT BEAT: Toll collectors will keep jobs but see pay cut by 24 percent … Massachusetts looks to take health care off the bargaining table … Missouri may auction more than 1,000 acres of state property near prisons, and other management news.

Unemployment Rate Dips in 34 States

TODAY'S TAKE: New figures from the U.S. Labor Department show joblessness dropping in two-thirds of the states. Nevada retains the highest rate at 13.4 percent. North Dakota has the lowest at 3.6 percent.

October 2010 Update: The High Cost of Long-Term Unemployment

A of August 2010, 4.4 million people—roughly the population of Louisiana—had been out of work for a year or more; an increase of nearly 30 percent since December 2009.

Unemployment: A Lost Decade for 12 States

TODAY'S TAKE: California has fewer people in its workforce today than it did in 1999. For Alabama and Indiana, 1993 is the last time the employment ranks were so thin. And for Michigan - unquestionably the nation's hardest-hit state in terms of unemployment - 4.1 million people have jobs today. That's the smallest total since August of 1987, when Ronald Reagan was president.

Tracking the Recession: States Push Job Training

Everyone agrees the way out of this recession is jobs. But millions of workers will not be able to get their old jobs back. Instead, states are investing billions in stimulus money to prepare them for new professions.

Prolonged Job Losses Strain State Agencies

With more people collecting unemployment checks than at any time in U.S. history, states are struggling to keep up with demand. At least four unemployed workers are available for every job opening; as a result, a quarter of jobless workers have been unable to find work for six months or more.

Tracking the Recession: Who Really Decides Whether to Take Unemployment Money

While some Republican governors are making headlines by threatening to turn down economic stimulus money aimed at enticing states to expand unemployment benefits to more low-income workers, the decision is not up to them. It's a decision for state legislatures, and some are expected to say, "No thanks."

Tracking the Recession: How Layoffs Affect One Small Town

The story of the recession often is told in dry statistics, such as the rising unemployment rate. But the downturn has a human side, too, as a laid-off factory worker in Philip, S.D., will tell you.

Economic crisis: Today's state perspective(2)

A scan of today's state news stories shows spreading economic distress - and an array of political plans to cushion the impact, including talk in Nevada of taxing prostitution (it's legal in some counties there). Nevada is among the states hit hardest by the recession.

Economic Crisis — State perspective

Unemployment hits double digits in Michigan. Several states seeing surging Medicaid rolls. A cost-cutting experiment in Utah fails to deliver expected results. Click here for today's perspective on how the economic crisis is affecting states.

State Jobless Funds Are Running Dry

As claims for benefits rise because of the economic downturn, many states are trying to figure out how to pay unemployed workers.

Squeeze Spares Some States

Not every state is having budget troubles. Alaska, Texas, West Virginia and others are faring better than most because of their booming energy industries. But North Dakota stands out because it has energy and agriculture - and not many people.

In Minnesota, soldiers re-learn civilian life

MOORHEAD, Minn. - The 2,600 members of the Minnesota National Guard who recently returned from a 22-month deployment - including a record 16 months in Iraq - are getting their first glimpse at a state program intended to help them overcome the challenges of life at home.

'One-state' Recession Hampers Michigan

The drumbeat of bad economic news out of Michigan keeps pounding, putting pressure on Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) and state lawmakers to reverse the trend and avert a state budget crisis.

New Census Data Show Rise in Uninsured, Poor

Just-released national statistics on health insurance coverage and poverty rates show Texas once again leads the nation with the highest rate of uninsured residents, followed closely by New Mexico. The poverty rate decreased in Mississippi and North Dakota, but increased in Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas and Virginia in 2003. The statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau give a state-by-state snapshot.

Rising Unemployment Vexes States

The national unemployment rate hit six percent last month, its highest level since 1994. But joblessness is even higher in many states as foreign competition combines with the downturn in the business cycle to produce an economic double whammy.

Unemployment Hits Tourist, Western States Hard

Unemployment rates increased or remained level in 42 states during October, with the sharpest rate jumps occurring in Hawaii and Nevada, according to data released last week by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.