After the Riots : NEWS IN BRIEF : UNEMPLOYMENT : Unemployment Applications Rising
The number of people who have applied for unemployment insurance or assistance because of riot-related job losses climbed to 4,876 last week, the California Employment Development Department said Wednesday. The total increased by 1,795 during the week.
The latest estimate by local economists is that up to 20,000 people were put out of work for three or more days because of the fires and looting, and that as many as 5,000 of those lost jobs won’t return for a year or more, if ever.
Economists say the volume of unemployment insurance and assistance applications understates the actual job losses, because many of the displaced workers are illegal immigrants who aren’t eligible for unemployment benefits. Also, many of the unemployed are members of the business owners’ families who were not on the payroll and consequently are ineligible for benefits.
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