Source: The Associated Press
According to a national report, the U.S. job market remains resilient as employers across the country continue to add hundreds of thousands of jobs.
“This is a good strong report,” Julia Pollak, chief economist at ZipRecruiter, told the Associated Press. ”The worst fears that people had of a painful downturn, a loss of jobs, longer unemployment durations, all those things — those are not coming to pass.”
In North Carolina, the unemployment rate fell to 3.3% for June, while the number of employed people in the state grew by 14,580, according to Associated Press. Earlier this year, Gov. Roy Cooper called for an increase in unemployment benefits.
According to a recent report by Forbes, North Carolina was ranked 49th for the nation’s worst unemployment benefits. The state’s average weekly benefit is $236 and the average payout lasts 20 weeks, WRAL reports.
Historically, state Republicans have refused to pass measures that would increase unemployment benefits; giving North Carolina the reputation of being one of the stingiest in the country when it comes to unemployment benefits.
This year’s budget proposal from Cooper includes a much-needed increase in unemployment benefits, and investments towards the state’s unemployment system that would help boost job training programs.
Despite efforts by Cooper and state Democrats to improve the unemployment system, these measures stand little chance of consideration during current budget negotiations due to the Republican majority in the legislature.
