Workers: State blocks unemployment benefits
Florida workers have filed complaints with the U.S. Labor Department alleging that changes to how people file unemployment claims has led to thousands of people being denied benefits. The workers say that many may have ended up walking away without benefits, despite being eligible. The lawsuit says that only 15% of eligible people drew unemployment benefits after changes were made to the application. The groups says that 51% of applicants were denied, almost twice that of the national average. Florida currently has an unemployment rate of 8.7%.
See "Workers: State blocks unemployment benefits", John Kennedy, Palm Beach Post, June 3, 2012