Continuing Double-Digit Unemployment Challenges North Carolina Workers’ Compensation System
According to North Carolina Employment Security Commission figures, the state’s jobless rate leaped to 11.1% in January, the highest unemployment rate for NC since 1976. North Carolina workers’ compensation and unemployment systems have been struggling under the weight of the demands from so many claimants. In January, more than half a million residents claimed to be unemployed – over the past year alone, the number of unemployed North Carolinians has jumped by 124,000, and experts fear that this number may continue to grow. The Commission found that the state gained approximately 7,000 jobs in January — but more than 8,300 people lost their jobs — a net loss. When you crunch the numbers, approximately 800,000 North Carolinians went for some stretch last year unemployed, and the number of underemployed (those who don’t have enough work) is likely much higher.
So is there any silver lining? According to North Carolina workers’ compensation analysts, perhaps. Although the state owes nearly $2 billion to the United States Labor Department (as of mid-March) for payback of unemployment benefits, NC actually has an above average unemployment rate for the country. This is good news, in the sense that it hopefully does not portend a greater or longer-term national lull in jobs. Also, North Carolina’s population has grown over the past decade, so it’s not really fair to compare the historically high unemployment numbers (~500,000 people unemployed today) with similar numbers from the past, since the worker pool today is bigger. Finally, analysts point to “green shoots” that indicate that the economy – both national and regional – may be on the rebound.
If you are an unemployed, underemployed, or workers’ comp dependent N.C. resident, you are probably less concerned with statewide problems than you are with your own personal dilemmas. How can you get your insurance company to meet its obligations to you? How can you prevent your North Carolina workers’ compensation and unemployment benefits from being denied or rolled back? What should you do about a recalcitrant or uncooperative employer? How should you handle your doctors’ visits?
To get immediate assistance with these prickly issues, connect today with a qualified North Carolina’s workers’ compensation attorney. Get professional guidance to avoid making costly mistakes that could endanger your benefits and prevent you from acquiring the critical funds you need to keep you and your family afloat.
More Web Resources:
North Carolina Employment Security Commission
500,000 unemployed in North Carolina
