With federal funding dried up, major Nevada unemployment claim backlog returns
By Tabitha Mueller, The Nevada Independent
Officials say the unemployment claims backlog is now as bad as it was earlier in the pandemic, as the state grapples with a drastically reduced unemployment workforce amid a dry-up of federal funding.
Officials with the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR) said there’s a backlog of more than 33,000 unemployment claims as of March 1. That’s significant considering the state is receiving only about 8,000 new claims per month.
Only about 53% of claims are being paid within 14 days of the end of the first claimed week. The Department of Labor’s target is that 87 percent of claims are paid within two weeks.
The head of DETR said the agency is down almost 500 staff members because of changes in federal regulations not allowing for contract staff, reduced funding and employees returning to other government departments.
The backlog comes as Nevadans face punishing rent hikes, inflation and less generous benefits than earlier in the crisis.
You can read the rest of this story at The Nevada Independent.
Sen. Cortez Masto has big cash advantage over GOP hopefuls
By The Associated Press
The U.S. Senate race in Nevada is becoming expensive. Incumbent Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto holds a big financial advantage over two leading Republican hopefuls who each spent more than $1 million the first three…
