NY pandemic unemployment benefits – $44.5B

The New York state Department of Labor this morning reported that more than $44.5 billion in unemployment benefits have been paid to New Yorkers during the Covid-19 pandemic ”“ more than the benefits typically paid out over a period of 21 years during normal times.

The Labor Department said that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved New York to receive an additional three weeks of Lost Wages Assistance funds from Washington. This adds $300 a week to the state”™s unemployment insurance benefits. The additional federal funds cover the weeks ending Aug. 23 and 30 and Sept. 6. An estimated 2.3 million New Yorkers are eligible to receive the additional money.

Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said, “Over the last six months, we have moved heaven and earth to connect millions of New Yorkers with their benefits, including nearly $1.9 billion in Lost Wages Assistance payments distributed just this week. While plagued with administrative roadblocks, the federal lost wages assistance program is now finally providing unemployed families with much needed support.”

With the extra federal assistance expiring again, Reardon called on Congress to put in place new funding to help unemployed during the pandemic.

“It is unconscionable for the federal government to once again cut Americans off from this support,” Reardon said. “Leaders in Washington, D.C., must pass a comprehensive package that supports unemployed families and the state and local governments that are hurting from this pandemic. Anything less is simply unacceptable.”

Meanwhile, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported yesterday that employee compensation for civilian workers in the U.S. averaged $38.20 per hour worked in June of this year. Wages and salaries cost employers $26.17 while benefit costs were $12.04. BLS said the average cost for health insurance benefits was $3.18 per hour worked.

Government workers received higher compensation on average than did workers in the private sector, according to the BLS. State and local government worker compensation costs for employers averaged $52.36 per hour worked in June 2020. Wages and salaries averaged $32.43 per hour worked and accounted for 61.9 percent of the government employer costs, while benefit costs averaged $19.93 and accounted for 38.1 percent.

The average cost of health insurance benefits for government employees was $6.01 per hour worked and accounted for 11.5 percent of total compensation paid government workers in June.