美國總統(tǒng)唐納德·特朗普兩周前要求發(fā)放的緊急失業(yè)救濟(jì)金剛剛開始緩慢進(jìn)入美國人的錢包。
各州可以自行決定是否參與該計(jì)劃,截至周一,只有亞利桑那州和德克薩斯州已開始支付每周300美元的額外失業(yè)援助。在其他收到該計(jì)劃撥款的州當(dāng)中,密蘇里州希望于周末內(nèi)開始撥款;猶他州和新墨西哥州預(yù)計(jì)還需要幾周時(shí)間才能發(fā)到居民手中;科羅拉多州將援助發(fā)放時(shí)間定于9月中旬;愛荷華州沒有公布時(shí)間表。路易斯安那州未回應(yīng)置評(píng)請(qǐng)求,不過該州曾于8月19日表示預(yù)計(jì)“下周內(nèi)”發(fā)放。
截至周一,有30個(gè)州獲準(zhǔn)加入該計(jì)劃,相關(guān)信息每日更新。南達(dá)科他州公開表示不會(huì)參加。
這種分階段逐步實(shí)施的做法,限制了特朗普為多數(shù)失業(yè)者提供每周300美元額外聯(lián)邦救濟(jì)的權(quán)宜計(jì)劃帶來的立竿見影的效果,等待救濟(jì)的家庭面臨困難,更廣泛地抑制了經(jīng)濟(jì)。此前每周600美元的額外失業(yè)救濟(jì)措施給美國四分五裂的社會(huì)保障體系帶來了一些區(qū)域公平性的假象,但該措施已于7月到期,而國會(huì)尚未就延長該計(jì)劃達(dá)成共識(shí)。
這項(xiàng)名為“失業(yè)援助”的新計(jì)劃啟動(dòng)緩慢的部分原因是州政府處理失業(yè)的部門已經(jīng)不堪重負(fù),新冠疫情期間他們一直面臨著處理失業(yè)申請(qǐng)和發(fā)放救濟(jì)金方面的困難。另一個(gè)問題是,該計(jì)劃資金來自聯(lián)邦緊急事務(wù)管理局(FEMA)的災(zāi)難應(yīng)急資金,州政府官員還不習(xí)慣為失業(yè)救濟(jì)事項(xiàng)與這個(gè)部門打交道。
新墨西哥州勞動(dòng)力解決方案部負(fù)責(zé)人比爾·麥卡姆利稱,這項(xiàng)計(jì)劃需要州與新機(jī)構(gòu)合作,創(chuàng)建具有新規(guī)則和新報(bào)告要求的新系統(tǒng)。
他表示:“如果我們沒有正確遵守規(guī)則,將來可能會(huì)受罰?!?/p>
模糊不清的納稅信息要求
從某種程度上講,今年早些時(shí)候各州的情況就是如此。當(dāng)時(shí)各州試圖迅速實(shí)施一項(xiàng)新的聯(lián)邦計(jì)劃,即“疫情失業(yè)援助”(PUA),這項(xiàng)聯(lián)邦計(jì)劃擴(kuò)大了申請(qǐng)資格,惠及包括臨時(shí)工和自由職業(yè)者在內(nèi)的傳統(tǒng)意義上不符合條件的申請(qǐng)對(duì)象。
新墨西哥州啟動(dòng)了這項(xiàng)PUA計(jì)劃,允許申請(qǐng)者使用2018年的納稅信息,但一周后申請(qǐng)者被告知必須使用2019年的納稅信息。而在其他州,PUA援助對(duì)象需要如何出具證明、或新的失業(yè)金的適用對(duì)象等問題模糊不清,由此也引發(fā)了其他問題。
國家就業(yè)法項(xiàng)目高級(jí)政策分析師米歇爾·埃弗莫爾表示,舉例而言,如果州發(fā)放了失業(yè)援助對(duì)象不該獲得的按周發(fā)放的PUA失業(yè)金,那么失業(yè)金就必須要收回。這就意味著要求不合條件的援助對(duì)象償還領(lǐng)取的失業(yè)金,而這些援助對(duì)象往往已經(jīng)花掉了這筆錢。
埃弗莫爾稱:“如果我是州政府機(jī)構(gòu)的負(fù)責(zé)人,在我開始發(fā)錢之前,如果金額超出了我的償還能力,我肯定會(huì)非常清楚發(fā)放的每一個(gè)細(xì)節(jié)?!?/p>
即使在最理想的情況下,PUA計(jì)劃優(yōu)點(diǎn)也有限。FEMA已被授權(quán)提供高達(dá)440億美元的資金支持,經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家估計(jì),若如預(yù)期發(fā)放給數(shù)百萬領(lǐng)取救濟(jì)金的失業(yè)者,這筆資金只能持續(xù)一到兩個(gè)月。
收入支持
事實(shí)證明,這種刺激措施對(duì)消費(fèi)者支出至關(guān)重要:失業(yè)救濟(jì)金約占美國人6月收入的7%,是有紀(jì)錄以來最高的比例。一份報(bào)告顯示,若沒有補(bǔ)充失業(yè)救濟(jì)金,地方支出就可能下降44%。
特朗普命令的技術(shù)性問題及其解讀也帶來了諸多挑戰(zhàn)。美國勞工部上周初發(fā)布了關(guān)于該計(jì)劃的情況說明書,內(nèi)容涉及29項(xiàng)問答。
一個(gè)關(guān)鍵問題在于:各州必須在一定程度上分擔(dān)成本,但各州可以將已經(jīng)支付給失業(yè)救濟(jì)金的金額計(jì)算在內(nèi)。除此之外,在嚴(yán)格明確申領(lǐng)資質(zhì)方面也存在著行政方面的困難。
埃弗莫爾表示:“任何層面上的任何不確定性都只是這些州政府機(jī)構(gòu)存在的禍根?!?(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:Shog
美國總統(tǒng)唐納德·特朗普兩周前要求發(fā)放的緊急失業(yè)救濟(jì)金剛剛開始緩慢進(jìn)入美國人的錢包。
各州可以自行決定是否參與該計(jì)劃,截至周一,只有亞利桑那州和德克薩斯州已開始支付每周300美元的額外失業(yè)援助。在其他收到該計(jì)劃撥款的州當(dāng)中,密蘇里州希望于周末內(nèi)開始撥款;猶他州和新墨西哥州預(yù)計(jì)還需要幾周時(shí)間才能發(fā)到居民手中;科羅拉多州將援助發(fā)放時(shí)間定于9月中旬;愛荷華州沒有公布時(shí)間表。路易斯安那州未回應(yīng)置評(píng)請(qǐng)求,不過該州曾于8月19日表示預(yù)計(jì)“下周內(nèi)”發(fā)放。
截至周一,有30個(gè)州獲準(zhǔn)加入該計(jì)劃,相關(guān)信息每日更新。南達(dá)科他州公開表示不會(huì)參加。
這種分階段逐步實(shí)施的做法,限制了特朗普為多數(shù)失業(yè)者提供每周300美元額外聯(lián)邦救濟(jì)的權(quán)宜計(jì)劃帶來的立竿見影的效果,等待救濟(jì)的家庭面臨困難,更廣泛地抑制了經(jīng)濟(jì)。此前每周600美元的額外失業(yè)救濟(jì)措施給美國四分五裂的社會(huì)保障體系帶來了一些區(qū)域公平性的假象,但該措施已于7月到期,而國會(huì)尚未就延長該計(jì)劃達(dá)成共識(shí)。
這項(xiàng)名為“失業(yè)援助”的新計(jì)劃啟動(dòng)緩慢的部分原因是州政府處理失業(yè)的部門已經(jīng)不堪重負(fù),新冠疫情期間他們一直面臨著處理失業(yè)申請(qǐng)和發(fā)放救濟(jì)金方面的困難。另一個(gè)問題是,該計(jì)劃資金來自聯(lián)邦緊急事務(wù)管理局(FEMA)的災(zāi)難應(yīng)急資金,州政府官員還不習(xí)慣為失業(yè)救濟(jì)事項(xiàng)與這個(gè)部門打交道。
新墨西哥州勞動(dòng)力解決方案部負(fù)責(zé)人比爾·麥卡姆利稱,這項(xiàng)計(jì)劃需要州與新機(jī)構(gòu)合作,創(chuàng)建具有新規(guī)則和新報(bào)告要求的新系統(tǒng)。
他表示:“如果我們沒有正確遵守規(guī)則,將來可能會(huì)受罰。”
模糊不清的納稅信息要求
從某種程度上講,今年早些時(shí)候各州的情況就是如此。當(dāng)時(shí)各州試圖迅速實(shí)施一項(xiàng)新的聯(lián)邦計(jì)劃,即“疫情失業(yè)援助”(PUA),這項(xiàng)聯(lián)邦計(jì)劃擴(kuò)大了申請(qǐng)資格,惠及包括臨時(shí)工和自由職業(yè)者在內(nèi)的傳統(tǒng)意義上不符合條件的申請(qǐng)對(duì)象。
新墨西哥州啟動(dòng)了這項(xiàng)PUA計(jì)劃,允許申請(qǐng)者使用2018年的納稅信息,但一周后申請(qǐng)者被告知必須使用2019年的納稅信息。而在其他州,PUA援助對(duì)象需要如何出具證明、或新的失業(yè)金的適用對(duì)象等問題模糊不清,由此也引發(fā)了其他問題。
國家就業(yè)法項(xiàng)目高級(jí)政策分析師米歇爾·埃弗莫爾表示,舉例而言,如果州發(fā)放了失業(yè)援助對(duì)象不該獲得的按周發(fā)放的PUA失業(yè)金,那么失業(yè)金就必須要收回。這就意味著要求不合條件的援助對(duì)象償還領(lǐng)取的失業(yè)金,而這些援助對(duì)象往往已經(jīng)花掉了這筆錢。
埃弗莫爾稱:“如果我是州政府機(jī)構(gòu)的負(fù)責(zé)人,在我開始發(fā)錢之前,如果金額超出了我的償還能力,我肯定會(huì)非常清楚發(fā)放的每一個(gè)細(xì)節(jié)?!?/p>
即使在最理想的情況下,PUA計(jì)劃優(yōu)點(diǎn)也有限。FEMA已被授權(quán)提供高達(dá)440億美元的資金支持,經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家估計(jì),若如預(yù)期發(fā)放給數(shù)百萬領(lǐng)取救濟(jì)金的失業(yè)者,這筆資金只能持續(xù)一到兩個(gè)月。
收入支持
事實(shí)證明,這種刺激措施對(duì)消費(fèi)者支出至關(guān)重要:失業(yè)救濟(jì)金約占美國人6月收入的7%,是有紀(jì)錄以來最高的比例。一份報(bào)告顯示,若沒有補(bǔ)充失業(yè)救濟(jì)金,地方支出就可能下降44%。
特朗普命令的技術(shù)性問題及其解讀也帶來了諸多挑戰(zhàn)。美國勞工部上周初發(fā)布了關(guān)于該計(jì)劃的情況說明書,內(nèi)容涉及29項(xiàng)問答。
一個(gè)關(guān)鍵問題在于:各州必須在一定程度上分擔(dān)成本,但各州可以將已經(jīng)支付給失業(yè)救濟(jì)金的金額計(jì)算在內(nèi)。除此之外,在嚴(yán)格明確申領(lǐng)資質(zhì)方面也存在著行政方面的困難。
埃弗莫爾表示:“任何層面上的任何不確定性都只是這些州政府機(jī)構(gòu)存在的禍根?!?(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:Shog
The emergency benefit payments ordered two weeks ago by President Donald Trump are just starting to trickle into jobless Americans’ wallets.
Participation is up to individual states, and as of Monday just two -- Arizona and Texas -- had begun paying out the supplemental $300 a week in benefits. Of the other states that have received funding for the program, Missouri hopes to start paying by this weekend; Utah and New Mexico anticipate it will be a few weeks before payments reach residents; Colorado is targeting mid-September; Iowa didn’t provide a timeline; and Louisiana didn’t respond to requests for comment, though it said on Aug. 19 it expected to distribute benefits “within the next week.”
As of Monday, 30 states had been approved for the program, with updates occurring daily. South Dakota publicly said it won’t participate.
The partial, gradual rollout limits the immediate impact of Trump’s stopgap action to provide $300 a week in additional federal aid for most jobless claimants, leaving families in a lurch as they wait for the supplemental income and holding back the economy more broadly. Lawmakers have failed to reach agreement on extending $600-a-week supplemental benefits, which expired in July and helped bring some semblance of regional equity to America’s patchwork social safety net.
Part of the reason for the slow start is that implementing the new program, known as Lost Wages Assistance, falls on overwhelmed state unemployment offices that have already struggled to process applications and deliver benefits during the pandemic. Another complication is that the program’s funding is coming from disaster money at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, an agency state officials are not accustomed to working with for unemployment-insurance matters.
The program requires working with a new agency and creating a new system with new rules and new reporting requirements, said Bill McCamley, head of the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions.
“If we don’t follow the rules correctly, we could be penalized in the future,” he said.
Tax Confusion
That’s what happened to some extent earlier this year when states tried to quickly implement a new federal program -- Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, or the federal program that extends jobless benefits to those not traditionally eligible like gig workers and the self-employed.
In New Mexico, the state launched the PUA program allowing applicants to use their 2018 tax information, but learned a week later that applicants had to use 2019 information instead. In other cases, confusion over how PUA recipients needed to certify or who qualified for the new aid led to other problems for states.
If, for example, a state paid out PUA benefits for a week the unemployed recipient shouldn’t have received payment for, the benefits have to be recouped, said Michele Evermore, a senior policy analyst at the National Employment Law Project. That means reclaiming money from people who have often already spent it.
“If I were a state agency director, I would definitely -- before I start handing out money that I might have to pay back at a time when there’s no way I can pay it back -- I’d be pretty clear on what every single detail is,” Evermore said.
Even in a best-case scenario, the program’s benefits would be limited. FEMA has been authorized to provide up to $44 billion in support, which economists estimate would last just one to two months if paid as intended to millions receiving jobless benefits.
Income Support
Such stimulus has proved essential to consumer spending: Unemployment benefits made up about 7% of Americans’ incomes in June, the biggest share on record. Without any supplemental unemployment payments, one paper estimates local spending would fall 44%.
The technicalities of Trump’s order -- and the interpretation of them -- create a host of challenges. The U.S. Department of Labor released a fact sheet on the program early last week with 29 questions and answers.
One key hitch: States are required to share the costs to some extent, but states can count the money they’re already paying toward unemployment benefits in this calculation. There are also administrative hurdles in determining precisely who’s eligible.
“Any more uncertainty on any level is just the bane of these state agencies’ existence,” Evermore said.