WASHINGTON — The number of Americans seeking unemployment aid fell last week to 444,000, a new pandemic low and a sign that the job market keeps strengthening as consumers spend freely again, viral infections drop and business restrictions ease. Thursday's report from the Labor Department coincides with moves by  that...
US Jobless Claims Sink. More GOP Governors Move to End Extra Aid in Future.
WASHINGTON — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell last week to 473,000, a new pandemic low and the latest evidence that fewer employers are cutting jobs as consumers ramp up spending and more businesses reopen. The decline — the fourth in the past five weeks — coincides with...
Chowchilla Prison Pals Indicted for COVID Unemployment Fraud
A federal grand jury in Fresno indicted a Chowchilla prison inmate and a parolee Thursday on charges they fleeced taxpayers of hundreds of thousands of dollars in COVID-19 unemployment benefits. Sholanda Thomas, 36, who is an inmate at the Central California Women's Facility, and parolee Christina Smith, 37, are accused...
Patterson Blasts EDD for Slow Handling of Unemployment Claims
Since mid-March, 2.7 million Californians have filed for unemployment benefits — more than all of the claims California processed in 2019 combined. The state's Employment Development Department has been overwhelmed, causing delays for many people seeking assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The people in Sacramento are making promises, and the...