Latest news with #UnemploymentInsurance
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
KDOL secretary expresses concern over unemployment insurance program cuts
KANSAS (KSNT) – The Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL) says its Unemployment Insurance (UI) Integrity and Fraud Prevention program, which receives federal funding, is slated to have budget cuts that KDOL claims will weaken Kansas' readiness for future crises. KDOL Secretary Amber Shultz wrote a letter on June 26 to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) expressing her concerns after termination notices were sent out stating the program 'no longer effectuates the Department's priorities for its grant funding.' The program was set to receive $1,739,000, but those funds were revised down to $676,940 on June 6, according to Shultz said the grant was intended to strengthen the integrity of the UI system and that characterizing the work as not in the DOL's objectives is 'confusing and contradictory.' KBI releases 2024 Kansas Crime Index report 'The rationale of canceling a grant specifically intended to detect and prevent fraud is, frankly, counterproductive,' Shultz wrote to the DOL. 'The funding supported critical infrastructure: identity verification tools, fraud analytics, and system safeguards that directly addressed the criminal attacks and operational failures that overwhelmed state systems during the pandemic. Revoking this support now leaves states more vulnerable to the very threats we were all called to confront.' The UI program has helped protect taxpayer dollars by using identity verification tools, fraud analytics and system safeguards to counter criminal attacks and operational breakdowns that can strain Kansas' unemployment systems, according to KDOL. Shultz said the program was developed in response to vulnerabilities exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
IOL News
27-06-2025
- IOL News
Why sentencing was postponed for Chinese nationals convicted of human trafficking in SA
The trial against seven Chinese nationals charged with human trafficking and child labour is expected to resume on July 4. Image: File The Department of Employment and Labour has confirmed that sentencing proceedings in the high-profile trial of seven Chinese nationals convicted of human trafficking and child labour have been postponed to next week. The matter was due to proceed at the Gauteng South Division Court in Johannesburg on Wednesday, June 26, 2025. However, the Court was informed that pre-sentencing reports had not yet been officially submitted. According to the Department, Advocate Valencia Dube informed the Court that all the accused were allocated probation officers to prepare pre-sentencing reports. While all the accused were visited by social services, their reports were not yet ready for submission. The convicted individuals, Kevin Tsao Shu-Uei, Chen Hui, Qin Li, Jiaqing Zhou, Ma Biao, Dai Junying, and Zhang Zhilian, were found guilty on February 25, 2025, of 160 counts. These included human trafficking, aiding and benefiting from trafficking, keeping persons in bondage, and a wide range of labour law violations. The convictions followed a joint operation in November 2019 at Beautiful City Pty Ltd, a textile factory based in Village Deep, Johannesburg. The operation was conducted by the Department's Inspection and Enforcement Services branch, the SAPS/Hawks, and the Department of Home Affairs, following a tip-off. The raid uncovered illegal immigrants, some of them minors, who were working in locked factory conditions. 'The seven were found guilty of violating South Africa's labour laws by not registering with the Compensation Fund and declaring their operations; failure to keep records of their earnings; failure to submit their return on earnings; failure to pay and declare assessments; failure to maintain a safe workplace; failure to report incidents; failure to register and declare with the Unemployment Insurance Fund Commissioner; failure to inform the Commissioner on Unemployment Insurance changes.' Departmental spokesperson Teboho Thejane said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading 'In addition, they were found guilty of human trafficking, aiding/facilitating human trafficking, bondage, benefiting from victims of human trafficking, and assisting illegal immigrants to remain in South Africa.' A new legal twist emerged during proceedings when defence Counsel J. Kruger, who had represented the accused since 2019, announced that his mandate had been terminated. 'Defence Counsel J. Kruger regretted to tell the Court that his mandate has been terminated,' Thejane said. The accused are now expected to be represented by Goodgall Attorneys. Six of the seven convicted individuals remain in custody. Only accused number six, Dai Junying, has been released on medical grounds. The case is provisionally scheduled to return to court on July 4, 2025, for submission and review of the pre-sentencing reports. IOL News
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'Bureaucratic and wasteful': DOGE sniffs out eye-popping spending on Biden DEI efforts in key agency
FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Labor announced on Tuesday that it has terminated $400 million dollars in spending it has deemed wasteful through its Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) efforts by rolling back diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)-related grants from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The department said DOGE had terminated all of its Unemployment Insurance (UI) ARPA grants, totaling around $400 million in savings, which it said addresses an unemployment system that has been in an "infrastructure crisis riddled with fraud, waste, and abuse." Some of the cuts from the $2 trillion piece of legislation signed into law by then-President Joe Biden in 2021, included creating an "Office of the Unemployed Workers' Advocate" and funding an "Equitable Access Director." Other cuts included initiatives to "conduct a business process analysis for equity," developing an "equity analytics dashboard," studying the "equity of the unemployment system," conducting a "DEIA assessment" and funding "equity monitor staff." Watch: Gop Senators Rail Against Staggering $4.7 Trillion In Untraceable Treasury Payments "America's unemployment benefits system is facing an infrastructure crisis, riddled with waste, fraud, and abuse," Labor Department spokesperson Courtney Parella told Fox News Digital. "The Biden administration was given a historic opportunity by Congress to fix it but instead squandered it on bureaucratic and wasteful projects that focused on equitable access rather than advancing access for all Americans in need." Read On The Fox News App Parella added that the department will continue working with state workforce agencies nationwide to focus on ways to improve the UI system to better "meet the needs of the American worker" and cut down on fraud, which has been prevalent in recent years, according to several news reports. Earlier this year, DOGE announced that it had discovered tens of thousands of unemployment claims for improbably old and young claimants that were approved in the years after 2020. Americans Grade Doge And Elon Musk's Efforts Within The First 100 Days Of The Trump Administration "This is another incredible discovery by the DOGE team, finding nearly $400 million in fraudulent unemployment payments," Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer told FOX Business in April. "The Labor Department is committed to recovering Americans' stolen tax dollars. We will catch these thieves and keep working to root out egregious fraud – accountability is here." The Labor Department announcement on Tuesday comes after Fox News Digital first reported in April that the department revealed $1.4 billion of unspent COVID funding would be "returned to taxpayers through the U.S. Department of Treasury's General Fund," and added that "action" was "being taken to recover the remaining $2.9 billion." According to the department leaderboard on the DOGE website, last updated on May 11, the Department of Labor ranks in the top 5 of departments that have made DOGE-related cuts, and DOGE overall says it has saved each American taxpayer $1,055.90. Fox News Digital's Eric Revell contributed to this article source: 'Bureaucratic and wasteful': DOGE sniffs out eye-popping spending on Biden DEI efforts in key agency
Cambrian News
07-05-2025
- Business
- Cambrian News
Mid Wales MP to rebel against his own party and vote against PIP plans
Speaking to the Cambrian News, Mr Witherden said: 'There are some welcome changes in the Green Paper, including abolishing three-yearly assessments for the most severely disabled, proposals on Unemployment Insurance, a billion pounds for helping people get work, no freeze in PIP, the ruling out of the voucher system the Tories desired and a 'Right to Try', allowing disabled people to see how they cope with work without losing their support.
Forbes
02-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Labor Market Stays Strong - But Signs Of Weakness Are Emerging
Business is still hiring but unevenly across sectors The new jobs report for April 2025 from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is stronger than expected, even though signs of weakness are emerging which will likely grow in the coming months. Overall payroll growth was 177,000, which exceeds economist expectations (of 130-140,000). Though estimates of growth for last month were revised downward (from 228,000 to 185,000), the last two months have shown a quite robust job market. But, looking more closely at specific industries, signs of a coming slowdown are emerging, as are indicators that Trump administration actions are starting to have negative effects. Federal government employment dropped last month by 9,000, and is down 26,000 over the past 3 months. This is just a small fraction of the numbers of federal employees whose jobs have been eliminated by DOGE; but while federal employees receive severance pay or paid leave, they are still considered employed. These cuts will no doubt appear sronger in coming months. Retail sales were down by 1800, and leisure and hospitality jobs grew by a moderate 24,000 - less than in previous months. These likely reflect weakening sales and dropping consumer confidence. Professional services grew by just 17,000, and several categories - like scientific research and development or scientific and technical consulting - contracted, likely reflecting DOGE cuts to research grants and pay for federal contractors that had been previously awarded. Jobs in private education, where private college and university employment are measured, rose by just 12,000. On the household side, unemployment remained at 4.2 percent, a modest rise from a year ago (when it was 3.9). Labor force participation grew a bit (to 62.6 percent), but it remains on a downward trend as Baby Boomers continue to retire. So the overall jobs report is mixed - stronger overall than expected, but with key signs of weakness in particular industry payrolls along with flat household unemployment which has been rising in other months. And these should be interpreted in light of other signs of emerging weakness during the past week. First, GDP has dropped by .3 percent in the first quarter of 2025. While this was mostly driven by a surge in imports (before tariffs are imposed), they also reflect weakness in consumer and government spending. Second, the job vacancy rate announced on Wednesday was 4.3 percent - considerably down from a year ago (when it was at 4.9 percent). Third, a notable increase in new applications for Unemployment Insurance has appeared in the most recent data. It is impossible to know what the job market in the coming months will look like. The effects of tariffs on consumer prices, especially on imports from China, will begin to emerge, and could further reduce wholesale and retail trade and spending on services - as will weakening consumer confidence. More cuts in federal employment will no doubt emerge. Weaker business confidence will probably reduce investment activity. And all of the above will likely have indirect spillover effects on spending and jobs in other sectors. But nothing is certain. Perhaps President Trump will pull back more quickly from his tariffs than he has done so far; or perhaps Congress will pass a large tax cut - which would stimulate some spending in the economy while greatly increasing federal debt. But, with inflation averaging 3.6 percent in the first quarter of 2025 (according to the GDP deflator for personal consumption expenditures), the Fed is unlikely to help with lower interest rates anytime soon. The only thing we can count on for sure in the coming months is more federally-induced chaos and uncertainty, which are not particularly good for an economy or a job market.
