The Cost of Unemployment

Published: Oct. 9, 2020, 8 a.m.

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In the past six months, tens of millions of Americans have lost their jobs and the federal government has provided more than $400 billion in unemployment benefits. With states pressed to pay for the epic costs of coronavirus, what if there was a more efficient way to get support to those out of work? What if we could save money while guaranteeing jobs?

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According to Pavlina Tcherneva, associate professor of economics at Bard College and author of \\u201cThe Case for a Job Guarantee,\\u201d there\\u2019s a way to do exactly that. It would be cheaper \\u2014 and better all-around for job seekers \\u2014 to ensure across-the-board access to employment rather than unemployment checks, she says. But does the math really add up?

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