New York Times: Jobless Checks for Millions Delayed as States Struggle – “Years of state and federal neglect have hobbled the nation’s unemployment system just as a brutal recession has doubled the number of jobless Americans seeking aid. In a program that values timeliness above all else, decisions involving more than a million applicants have been slowed, and hundreds of thousands of needy people have waited months for checks. And with benefit funds at dangerous lows even before the recession began, states are taking on billions in debt, increasing the pressure to raise taxes or cut aid, just as either would inflict maximum pain. Sixteen states, with exhausted funds, are now paying benefits with borrowed cash, and their number could double by the year’s end. Call centers and Web sites have been overwhelmed, leaving frustrated workers sometimes fighting for days to file an application.”

• Related NYT graphic package – The State of the Unemployment System
• Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration – State Ranking of Core Measures for the Period: 01/01/2009 to 06/30/2009 – Run Date: 7/26/2009: “This program provides state performance rankings for the core measures. Results are ranked according to performance for all measures except Tax Quality. Any number of measures and quarters can be selected. All states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are included in the report output.”
• Related postings on financial system