Recession and 9/11 Recession and 9/11 Economic Hardship and the Failure of the Safety Net for Unemployed Workers in New York City Annette Bernhardt and Kate Rubin Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law Presented to the New York Regional Association of Grantmakers January 13, 2004

Finding 1 An unequal system

The majority of unemployed workers in New York State do not receive unemployment benefits

Those who need benefits the most are the least likely to get them Percent of workers receiving benefits:

Finding 2 Inadequate benefits

Many workers who receive benefits exhaust them before finding a new job

Unemployment benefits don’t replace workers’ wages

The social cost of our failed system The majority of workers we interviewed experienced serious economic hardship  60% reported crises such as having their utilities cut off, being evicted, or having to go to soup kitchens In 2003, we estimate that low recipiency cost New York City between $400 and $600 million in lost benefits

Finding 3 Outreach works

Outreach significantly increases the number of workers who receive benefits

And outreach also reduces the inequality in who receives benefits

How public policy can help 1.Better Outreach 2.System Reform