March 16, 2008 1:35 PM

Less help for the unemployed
Posted by Jesse Nunesat 1:35 PM

Some unemployment assistance workers may soon be needing unemployment assistance.

That's because Massachusetts is contemplating cutting up to 70 jobs from agencies that provide job placement assistance to those looking for work. These agencies also provide unemployment benefits to laid-off workers. This comes as a recession looms, and with potentially more workers needing the type of help that is being pared down. The Boston Globe's Robert Gavin reports:

Administration officials say they are in the process of closing a $6 million shortfall in these programs, which they blame on federal funding that has declined by $15 million over the past five years. As a result, they have launched a voluntary layoff or buyout program, offering takers a $2,500 bonus. They are also considering eliminating walk-up services for people to file unemployment claims in state career centers, which help laid-off workers find jobs. Most people file unemployment claims by phone.

Suzanne Bump, secretary of Labor and Workforce Development, said no final decisions have been made on which services to cut. The state must collaborate with 16 regional Workforce Investment Boards, which, under federal law, oversee career centers and share responsibilities with the state for job training and other employment programs.

"These decisions will [not] and cannot be unilateral," Bump said. "But we've been in a situation of having to provide an ever more extensive support system with fewer dollars."

Despite the fact that a majority of laid-off workers use the phone system to manage their unemployment claims, some worry that getting rid of the walk-up service will hurt those most vulnerable – people who speak little or no English and who are most likely to live paycheck-to-paycheck. The Workforce Investment Association of Massachusetts, which represents financial administrators of the federal Workforce Investment Act and career center directors, raised these concerns in a letter to Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Suzanne Bump.

"This group of unemployed, who are the most vulnerable customers, will be the most negatively impacted by the removal of the walk-in claims services," the letter said. "They may also be the . . . applicants who are financially strapped and need assistance to access their funds ASAP."

Tuesday is the deadline for the voluntary buyout program, according to Bump. Meanwhile, Senator Edward M. Kennedy has proposed legislation to boost funding for unemployment benefits and programs, and is reminding everyone that the state can ill afford to lose unemployment assistance when many people need it most.

"As the economy continues to worsen, we must take immediate action to jump-start the economy and to help families in crisis," he said in a statement. "I call on my colleagues to join me in helping the millions of hard-working Americans who are pounding the pavement every day looking for work, but having no luck. We need to take up legislation as soon as possible to extend and improve unemployment benefits."

What do you think of the state's decision to cut job from the career centers? Have you used one of these centers before, and if so, how was your experience?

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