SACRAMENTO (AP) — California’s troubled unemployment benefits division will soon have its third director in the last two years.

The head of the employment promotion department, Rita Saenz, resigned on Friday after a little more than a year in office. She will be replaced by Nancy Farias, who has served as the department’s associate director since 2020. She will earn a salary of $204,613.

CONTINUE READING: California EDD suspends some disability claims citing fraud

Saenz, who ran the California Department of Human Services in the early 2000s and a former executive at Xerox Corp. came out of retirement in 2021 to run the ministry as it was plagued by fraud and arrears. The department was overwhelmed with unemployment benefits early in the pandemic after Gov. Gavin Newsom issued the country’s first statewide stay-at-home order, which forced businesses to close.

Since then, the agency has received 26.4 million applications and paid $180 billion in benefits. But about $20 billion of those payments went to scammers posing as prison inmates and, in one case, to US Senator Dianne Feinstein to trick state officials into sending them checks.

As director, Saenz attempted to implement 21 recommendations from the California auditor. The department has so far implemented five of these recommendations, while the rest are in various stages of implementation. In a memo announcing her retirement, Saenz said she only planned to stay in the department for a short time.

CONTINUE READING: Oakland man sentenced to jail for armed attacks on postal worker in East Oakland

“I am proud of the many reforms and new programs that EDD has introduced over the past year,” Saenz said in a department press release. “Nancy Farias has the energy and direct experience to sustain this positive momentum.”

Newsom praised Saenz for her “steadfast leadership” and credited her with leading “important reforms at the ministry to better serve working Californians, prevent fraud, and hold bad actors accountable.”

The department recently uncovered another fraud scheme, when scammers posed as doctors to trick state officials into issuing them disability cards. The department froze about 345,000 applications related to 27,000 doctors. Earlier this week, the department announced that about 98% of those claims were fraudulent.

However, the department has frozen the benefits of some eligible claimants who have had trouble reinstating their benefits.

MORE NEWS: Daly City Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying the EDD fraud suspect

“The EDD has tried so hard to downplay its recent failure to prevent fraud in its disability programs,” said Assemblyman Jim Patterson, a Fresno Republican who has been a vocal critic of the department. “The governor needs to put someone in charge of the EDD who has the courage to make the necessary changes.”

The post State Unemployment Advantages Chief Resigns Amid EDD Cost Backlog – CBS San Francisco appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

SACRAMENTO (AP) — California’s jobless rate fell half a percentage point in December as the most populous state added 50,700 nonfarm jobs, accounting for more than a quarter of the country’s 199,000 new jobs for the month, according to new data released Friday .

The state has now regained almost 72% of the 2.7 million jobs it lost in the first few months of the pandemic when Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom imposed the nation’s first statewide house arrest order in spring 2020 to slow the spread of the coronavirus .

CONTINUE READING: San Jose Police Chief Reports Fatal Shootout With Wanted Criminal After Attempted Car Theft

“In a tug-of-war between the positive economic momentum of the state’s economy and the headwinds of COVID, the California economy is making slow but steady progress,” said Sung Won Sohn, finance and economics professor at Loyola Marymount University.

However, he noted that the full impact of the Omicron wave had yet to be felt when the mid-month jobless survey went live.

This has forced airlines to cancel holiday flights, companies to let employees work from home and schools to return to online teaching, among others. It also prompted more parents to stay at home, contributing to what has come to be known as the “great resignation” phenomenon.

California’s unemployment rate of 6.5% is down from 9.3% a year ago as the state added nearly a million jobs since December 2020, the state Employment Development Department reported. Last month’s hiring surge still lagged behind an average gain of 97,200 jobs in earlier months of last year, before slowing in November and now December.

California also stayed well above the national unemployment rate of 3.9%.

The hard-hit leisure and hospitality sector led the rise last month by adding more than 15,000 jobs, with significant gains in food service and drinking establishments, the department said, despite pressure from the latest Omicron wave.

Ten of California’s 11 industrial sectors added jobs in December, and the professional and business services sector has now regained all the jobs it lost at the start of the pandemic.

A 6% increase in nonfarm payrolls in 2021 is the biggest increase in a calendar year for the state since 1990, the ministry said.

CONTINUE READING: Parental consent is not required for COVID shots of teens under proposed state law

But a big problem remains the “disappearing workforce in California,” said Michael Bernick, former director of employment development and attorney at law firm Duane Morris.

The state remains nearly 920,000 workers short of where it was employed in January 2020, just before the pandemic, he said.

New state-level job turnover data showed 1.1 million job openings in California at the end of November, a number that has held up since August even as employers scramble to find workers. Nevertheless, there were 415,000 voluntary resignations in November.

“Employers continue to report that even job seekers who respond to job offers do not show up for interviews,” Bernick said.

Officials revised the state’s November unemployment rate by 0.1 percentage point to 7%, adding 3,500 unemployed to its previous figure.

Nearly 356,000 people qualified for unemployment insurance during sample week in December, up from nearly 435,000 in November and more than 1 million a year ago. More than 49,000 initial claims were processed during the model week, more than 3,600 fewer than in November and more than 110,000 fewer than a year ago.

Colusa and Imperial counties posted double-digit unemployment rates last month, the worst in the state, while wealthier counties of Marin, San Mateo and Santa Clara in the San Francisco Bay Area had the lowest rates at under 3%.

“This year we will continue to take action to get more people back to work and to support our businesses hardest hit by the pandemic,” Newsom said in a statement.

MORE NEWS: Santa Clara County Officials Unveil Plan To Hand Out Free At-Home COVID Antigen Tests; How to sign up

© Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, transcribed or redistributed.

The post California Jobless Fee Dips To six.5% In December; Some Bay Space Counties Down To three% Unemployment – CBS San Francisco appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

SAN JOSE (CBS SF) – New national figures released showing initial jobless claims fell to 184,000 in the week ending December 4, the lowest since September 1969, according to the Department of Labor.

But California is bucking the trend.

CONTINUE READING: “We weren’t expecting a million dollars” – San Francisco Homes Astronomical Overbid drugged agents

“This morning we had 20 percent of the new jobless claims in the country, while we only got about 11.7 percent of the
civilian workforce, ”said Michael Bernick, labor attorney and former head of the state’s employment development department.

Bernick says several COVID-related factors contribute to California’s oversized proportion of the country’s unemployed.

“Sustained effects of the very strict closings and the impact on our small business economy as well as the heightened concerns about COVID and its variants, childcare and uncertainty about schools,” said Bernick.

Large office buildings and corporate headquarters in downtown San Jose remain largely empty.

CONTINUE READING: UPDATE: Person dies after being dragged out of water near China Beach, San Francisco

With COVID posing a persistent health threat, companies have postponed plans to return to the office more than once. This has created a ghost town effect on the streets and in restaurants like 4th Street Pizza.

“It still has a profound effect on us,” said Josh McGhie, co-owner of 4th Street Pizza. “I mean, downtown San Jose used to be a busy area. There are very few people out here now. “

Fewer people in the office mean fewer people on the sidewalk buying food, shopping or needing services. That means reduced working hours for small businesses and their employees.

In addition, there is a segment of the California workforce that is slow to return to work, even when jobs are available.

“Young people, it seems, don’t want a job. It’s definitely hard to hire people, ”said McGhie.

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It makes it difficult especially for small businesses, which McGhie says are still operating in survival mode.

The post California Unemployment Bucks Nationwide Pattern of Shrinking Jobless Claims – CBS San Francisco appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

SACRAMENTO (CBS SF / AP) – While California employers continue to create new jobs at a record pace, state jobless claims remain stubbornly high, a sign that the highly contagious Delta variant could give people a break when returning to work .

California has created an average of more than 111,000 new jobs per month since February, restoring about 58% of the 2.7 million jobs lost in March and April 2020 after Governor Gavin Newsom issued the first statewide stay-at-home order due to the coronavirus. This includes 114,400 new jobs in July, according to a report by the Office for Employment Development published on Friday.

CONTINUE READING: DROUGHT: State Water Board orders rightsholders to stop taking water from Delta

But the number of residents applying for unemployment benefits has increased for four consecutive weeks. While California workers make up 11.7% of the country’s labor force, the state accounted for 21.4% of all unemployment benefits last week. More than 3 million people in the state are still on some form of unemployment benefit.

“It hasn’t gone down much in a few months, even though we created these jobs,” said Michael Bernick, attorney with Duane Morris law firm and former director of the California Department of Employment Development. “This is a real problem, and it suggests that large numbers of Californians are still unemployed and inactive.”

Other experts say the labor market needs to be understood in light of the pandemic, which is constantly changing as more people get vaccines and new varieties emerge that bring new challenges.

“People act differently because of new information, and that will affect the job market,” said Sylvia Allegretto, employment economist and co-chair of the Center on Wage and Employment Dynamics at the University of California-Berkeley.

California’s unemployment rate remained at 7.6% in July, the second highest in the country, level with New Mexico and New York. The rate is unlikely to have changed, however, as an additional 56,600 people joined the workforce in July, a good sign that more people are looking for work.

Allegretto said the rate of people quitting their jobs is higher, something you don’t usually see in a recession.

“Because so many jobs go online at the same time, a lot of people quit their jobs and say, ‘Hey, I can find a better offer,'” said Allegretto. “I’m not surprised by any of this, and I think nothing is too worrisome right now when you relate it to what’s happening.”

CONTINUE READING: ‘Crazy times to be alive;’ The Good Samaritan starts the attack on Chinatown in San Francisco and arrests suspects

Up to 2 million people could lose their unemployment benefits next month if the extended federal benefits expire. President Joe Biden said Thursday some states could use federal coronavirus aid money to extend the benefits themselves.

Newsom, the Democratic governor who faces a dismissal next month caused in part by anger over its pandemic policies, said California created more jobs than any other state in July. Newsom lifted almost all restrictions on businesses in July when cases were low when more people were being vaccinated.

But since then, the number of new cases caused by the Delta variant, a more contagious and dangerous version of the virus, has increased tenfold in California. Newsom ordered the vaccination of 2.2 million health care workers, saying that all teachers and government employees will either be given the vaccine or have to undergo weekly tests. He also said that people will need to show either proof of vaccination or a negative coronavirus test in order to attend an indoor event with 1,000 or more people from Sept. 20.

“We will continue to lead the way with science and data, prioritize vaccinations and support workers and small businesses hardest hit by this pandemic to create the conditions for a robust economic recovery,” Newsom said.

Nine of California’s eleven industries created new jobs in July, with 49% of the new jobs coming from hotels and restaurants. Another 31% came from education and health services, mostly schools that opened summer courses to help students catch up with a year at home.

Manufacturing posted the largest loss, with 4,500 jobs lost due to a sharp drop in transportation equipment manufacturing, according to a press release from the Department of Employment Development.

Sung Won Sohn, a professor of finance and economics at Loyola Marymount University, said the July job report showed that the job market was “booming.”

“But since then, the delta (variant) has become a big issue, and that could be a major headwind for the California economy,” he said. “I think some of the people are reluctant to go back to work as long as the virus comes back to life.”

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© Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

The post California Unemployment Claims Keep Excessive Regardless of Fruitful Job Market – CBS San Francisco appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF / AP) – After more than a year of a COVID-19 hiatus, California officials again began demanding job-search evidence from citizens in order to receive their unemployment benefits.

The job search obligation had been suspended during the months of the pandemic.

CONTINUE READING: UPDATE: State Requiring Proof of Job Seeker for Unemployment Benefit; How will EDD enforce it?

“If you receive regular unemployment benefits, the job-search obligation will be reintroduced for most applicants from July 11th in order to maintain entitlement to benefits,” Labor Department officials wrote on their website. “The requirement applies to the search for a suitable job that is safe for re-entry and which is comparable to your skills, experience, your usual job, your age and your state of health.”

To help with the search, EDD officials have published resources for unemployed applicants.

Here’s what state officials say is appropriate for “reasonable efforts in finding suitable work.”

• Set up an account with CalJOBS, take part in re-employment services, publish a profile on various job search or network sites.
• Let friends, previous employers, or community members know that you’re looking for work. Take part in networking, job fairs or clubs.
• Apply for positions with employers who are reasonably expected to have suitable vacancies with appropriate skills and experience, including government agencies and exams.
• Participate in approved education and training opportunities that facilitate access to employment and do not interfere with taking up decent full-time employment.

Read also: State that requires a job search certificate for unemployment benefit; How will EDD enforce it?

The state created 104,500 jobs in May – the fourth month in a row with six-digit job growth, after 102,000 jobs created in April, 132,400 jobs created in March and 156,100 new jobs in February:

“California continues to lead the country’s economic recovery, adding 104,500 jobs in May, the fourth straight month in six-figure jobs,” Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “Our health-centric approach has saved lives and resulted in one of the lowest case numbers and the most vaccinations in the country – now we are the nationwide leader in health and economic outcomes. We’ve reclaimed more than half the jobs we lost last year, but there’s still a long way to go – that’s why we’re investing in historic tax cuts and grants for small businesses, tax breaks for two-thirds of California families, and rental breaks for those who those most affected by the pandemic. “

Since the pandemic began, California – the nation’s most populous state with nearly 40 million residents – has processed more than 20 million jobless claims and paid out more than $ 128 billion in benefits.

Full coverage of EDD payment system fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic

Typically, the highest money anyone can get from unemployment benefits in California is $ 450 a week. But Congress added an extra $ 300 a week because of the pandemic. This additional money does not expire until September.

However, as coronavirus cases have declined while more people are being vaccinated, employers have indicated they are having a hard time finding work, especially in the service industry.

Kyle Conner, who owns the Alameda Cinema Grill, Alameda Theater, and Cineplex, is one of those small businesses struggling to reopen fully.

“I started closing on Mondays,” he told KPIX 5. “I was always out seven days a week.”

The staff shortage also forced him to shorten his business hours. He has a dozen vacancies.

CONTINUE READING: Women prisoner, Fresno man in California convicts EDD fraud

“I work with two chefs,” he said. “Before the pandemic, we had five or six. I’m looking for a head chief, two or three line cooks, probably three waiters, bussers, dishwashers, bartenders. Everything.”

Labor experts blamed the labor shortage in part on adding extra money from unemployment benefits to incentivizing people to stay home. And not only the gastronomy, the entire service industry is facing the same challenge.

“We were open seven days a week before the pandemic,” said Julie Pruitt, owner of Acne Specialists of Oakland. “And now we’re only five open because I don’t have enough staff.”

Robert La Come is quite a gamer. At the age of 71, he bought City Forest Catering in San Francisco in the middle of a pandemic when there were no catering events. Now that the customers are finally back, he says the workers are not.

“The problem for me is that people get paid not to work,” he said. “They get this unemployment and that’s what they tell me, ‘Oh, I’m getting unemployment, I can’t work.’ Or: ‘When it’s over, I can work for you.’ “

“Now, starting this week, those who are regularly unemployed and receive the state extension allowance should look for work,” said EDD spokeswoman Loree Levy. “So if you go to certification this week on Sunday, you can say, yes, I was looking for a job.”

Levy said that people who confirm they have looked for work do so under penalty of perjury and that they should keep a record of their efforts in case EDD asks them to provide evidence. However, former EDD director Michael Bernick says people don’t have to prove they are looking for work and he doubts that this will actually be enforced. He says that as long as other factors exist that give people more reasons to stay home, employers might have difficulty hiring.

“I think things won’t really change until September, when the (federal) unemployment benefit subsidy ends,” said Bernick, “and when schools finally reopen and childcare increases and people’s real and imagined health problems decrease. Only when these elements come into play will we see a real return to work. “

Bernick says the pandemic hiatus has given people a chance to rethink whether they want to go back to work and at what price.

That could be a problem for La Come, who said he could hire up to 10 more employees. Heading into the busy holiday catering season, he hopes his kitchen will be full of workers making paychecks again and helping make the big bet he placed on the business pay off.

“I think everyone should pay their way, you know?” He said. “I had to do it. Why shouldn’t you?”

John Ramos contributed to this report.

MORE NEWS: The California EDD requires proof of job search starting July in order to receive benefits

The post California EDD Now Requiring Proof of Job Search To Acquire Unemployment Advantages – CBS San Francisco appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF / AP) – After more than a year of a COVID-19 hiatus, California officials again began demanding job-search evidence from citizens in order to receive their unemployment benefits.

The job search obligation had been suspended during the months of the pandemic.

CONTINUE READING: UPDATE: State Requiring Proof of Job Seeker for Unemployment Benefit; How will EDD enforce it?

“If you receive regular unemployment benefits, the job-search obligation will be reintroduced for most applicants from July 11th in order to maintain entitlement to benefits,” Labor Department officials wrote on their website. “The requirement applies to the search for a suitable job that is safe for re-entry and which is comparable to your skills, experience, your usual job, your age and your state of health.”

To help with the search, EDD officials have published resources for unemployed applicants.

Here’s what state officials say is appropriate for “reasonable efforts in finding suitable work.”

• Set up an account with CalJOBS, take part in re-employment services, publish a profile on various job search or network sites.
• Let friends, previous employers, or community members know that you are looking for work. Take part in networking, job fair events or clubs.
• Apply for positions with employers who are reasonably expected to have suitable vacancies with appropriate skills and experience, including government agencies and exams.
• Participate in approved education and training opportunities that facilitate access to employment and do not interfere with taking up decent full-time employment.

Read also: State that requires a job search certificate for unemployment benefit; How will EDD enforce it?

The state created 104,500 jobs in May – the fourth month in a row with six-digit job growth, after 102,000 jobs created in April, 132,400 jobs created in March and 156,100 new jobs in February:

“California continues to lead the country’s economic recovery, adding 104,500 jobs in May, the fourth straight month in six-figure jobs,” Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “Our health-centric approach has saved lives and resulted in one of the lowest case numbers and the most vaccinations in the country – now we are the nationwide leader in health and economic outcomes. We’ve reclaimed more than half the jobs we lost last year, but there’s still a long way to go – that’s why we’re investing in historic tax cuts and grants for small businesses, tax breaks for two-thirds of California families, and rental breaks for those who those most affected by the pandemic. “

Since the pandemic began, California – the nation’s most populous state with nearly 40 million residents – has processed more than 20 million jobless claims and paid out more than $ 128 billion in benefits.

Full coverage of EDD payment system fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic

Typically, the highest money anyone can get from unemployment benefits in California is $ 450 a week. But Congress added an extra $ 300 a week because of the pandemic. This additional money does not expire until September.

However, as coronavirus cases have declined while more people are being vaccinated, employers have indicated they are having a hard time finding work, especially in the service industry.

Kyle Conner, who owns the Alameda Cinema Grill, Alameda Theater, and Cineplex, is one of those small businesses struggling to reopen fully.

“I started closing on Mondays,” he told KPIX 5. “I was always out seven days a week.”

The staff shortage also forced him to shorten his business hours. He has a dozen vacancies.

CONTINUE READING: Women prisoner, Fresno man in California convicts EDD fraud

“I work with two chefs,” he said. “Before the pandemic, we had five or six. I’m looking for a head chief, two or three line cooks, probably three waiters, bussers, dishwashers, bartenders. Everything.”

Labor experts blamed the labor shortage in part on adding extra money from unemployment benefits to incentivizing people to stay home. And not only the gastronomy, the entire service industry is facing the same challenge.

“We were open seven days a week before the pandemic,” said Julie Pruitt, owner of Acne Specialists of Oakland. “And now we’re only five open because I don’t have enough staff.”

Robert La Come is quite a gamer. At the age of 71, he bought City Forest Catering in San Francisco in the middle of a pandemic when there were no catering events. Now that the customers are finally back, he says the workers are not.

“The problem for me is that people get paid not to work,” he said. “They get this unemployment and that’s what they tell me, ‘Oh, I’m getting unemployment, I can’t work.’ Or: ‘When it’s over, I can work for you.’ “

“Now, starting this week, those who are regularly unemployed and receive the state extension allowance should look for work,” said EDD spokeswoman Loree Levy. “So if you go to certification this week on Sunday, you can say, yes, I was looking for a job.”

Levy said that people who confirm they have looked for work do so under penalty of perjury and that they should keep a record of their efforts in case EDD asks them to provide evidence. However, former EDD director Michael Bernick says people don’t have to prove they are looking for work and he doubts that this will actually be enforced. He says that as long as other factors exist that give people more reasons to stay home, employers might have difficulty hiring.

“I think things won’t really change until September, when the (federal) unemployment benefit subsidy ends,” said Bernick, “and when schools finally reopen and childcare increases and people’s real and imagined health problems decrease. Only when these elements come into play will we see a real return to work. “

Bernick says the pandemic hiatus has given people a chance to rethink whether they want to go back to work and at what price.

That could be a problem for La Come, who said he could hire up to 10 more employees. Heading into the busy holiday catering season, he hopes his kitchen will be full of workers making paychecks again and helping make the big bet he placed on the business pay off.

“I think everyone should pay their way, you know?” He said. “I had to do it. Why shouldn’t you?”

John Ramos contributed to this report.

MORE NEWS: The California EDD requires proof of job search starting July in order to receive benefits

The post California EDD Now Requiring Proof of Job Search To Acquire Unemployment Advantages – CBS San Francisco appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF / AP) – After more than a year of a COVID-19 hiatus, California officials again began demanding job-search evidence from citizens in order to receive their unemployment benefits.

The job search obligation had been suspended during the months of the pandemic.

CONTINUE READING: The California EDD requires proof of job search starting July in order to receive benefits

“If you receive regular unemployment benefits, the job-search obligation will be reintroduced for most applicants from July 11th in order to maintain entitlement to benefits,” Labor Department officials wrote on their website. “The requirement applies to the search for a suitable job that is safe for re-entry and which is comparable to your skills, experience, your usual job, your age and your state of health.”

To help with the search, EDD officials have published resources for unemployed applicants.

Here’s what state officials say is appropriate for “reasonable efforts in finding suitable work.”

• Set up an account with CalJOBS, take part in re-employment services, publish a profile on various job search or network sites.
• Let friends, previous employers, or community members know that you are looking for work. Take part in networking, job fair events or clubs.
• Apply for positions with employers who are reasonably expected to have suitable vacancies with appropriate skills and experience, including government agencies and exams.
• Participate in approved education and training opportunities that facilitate access to employment and do not interfere with taking up decent full-time employment.

The state created 104,500 jobs in May – the fourth month in a row with six-digit job growth, after 102,000 jobs created in April, 132,400 jobs created in March and 156,100 new jobs in February:

“California continues to lead the country’s economic recovery, adding 104,500 jobs in May, the fourth straight month in six-figure jobs,” Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “Our health-centric approach has saved lives and resulted in one of the lowest case numbers and the most vaccinations in the country – now we are the nationwide leader in health and economic outcomes. We’ve reclaimed more than half the jobs we lost last year, but there’s still a long way to go – that’s why we’re investing in historic tax cuts and grants for small businesses, tax breaks for two-thirds of California families, and rental breaks for those who those most affected by the pandemic. “

Since the pandemic began, California – the nation’s most populous state with nearly 40 million residents – has processed more than 20 million jobless claims and paid out more than $ 128 billion in benefits.

Full coverage of EDD payment system fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic

CONTINUE READING: California EDD fraud conviction results in 6-year prison sentence for Stockton Man

Typically, the highest money anyone can get from unemployment benefits in California is $ 450 a week. But Congress added an extra $ 300 a week because of the pandemic. This additional money does not expire until September.

However, as coronavirus cases have declined while more people are being vaccinated, employers have indicated they are having a hard time finding work, especially in the service industry.

Kyle Conner, who owns the Alameda Cinema Grill, Alameda Theater, and Cineplex, is one of those small businesses struggling to reopen fully.

“I started closing on Mondays,” he told KPIX 5. “I was always out seven days a week.”

The staff shortage also forced him to shorten his business hours. He has a dozen vacancies.

“I work with two chefs,” he said. “Before the pandemic, we had five or six. I’m looking for a head chief, two or three line cooks, probably three waiters, bussers, dishwashers, bartenders. Everything.”

Labor experts blamed the labor shortage in part on adding extra money from unemployment benefits to incentivizing people to stay home. And not only the gastronomy, the entire service industry is facing the same challenge.

MORE NEWS: NorCal prison inmate, 3 others charged with $ 1.2 million EDD fraud program in California

“We were open seven days a week before the pandemic,” said Julie Pruitt, owner of Acne Specialists of Oakland. “And now we’re only five open because I don’t have enough staff.”

The post California EDD Now Requiring Proof of Job Search To Accumulate Unemployment Advantages – CBS San Francisco appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF / AP) – After more than a year of a COVID-19 hiatus, California officials again began demanding job-search evidence from citizens in order to receive their unemployment benefits.

The job search obligation had been suspended during the months of the pandemic.

CONTINUE READING: The California EDD requires proof of job search starting July in order to receive benefits

“If you receive regular unemployment benefits, the job-search obligation will be reintroduced for most applicants from July 11th in order to maintain entitlement to benefits,” Labor Department officials wrote on their website. “The requirement applies to the search for a suitable job that is safe for re-entry and which is comparable to your skills, experience, your usual job, your age and your state of health.”

To help with the search, EDD officials have published resources for unemployed applicants.

Here’s what state officials say is appropriate for “reasonable efforts in finding suitable work.”

• Set up an account with CalJOBS, take part in re-employment services, publish a profile on various job search or network sites.
• Let friends, previous employers, or community members know that you are looking for work. Take part in networking, job fair events or clubs.
• Apply for positions with employers who are reasonably expected to have suitable vacancies with appropriate skills and experience, including government agencies and exams.
• Participate in approved education and training opportunities that facilitate access to employment and do not interfere with taking up decent full-time employment.

The state created 104,500 jobs in May – the fourth month in a row with six-digit job growth, after 102,000 jobs created in April, 132,400 jobs created in March and 156,100 new jobs in February:

“California continues to lead the country’s economic recovery, adding 104,500 jobs in May, the fourth straight month in six-figure jobs,” Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “Our health-centric approach has saved lives and resulted in one of the lowest case numbers and the most vaccinations in the country – now we are the nationwide leader in health and economic outcomes. We’ve reclaimed more than half the jobs we lost last year, but there’s still a long way to go – that’s why we’re investing in historic tax cuts and grants for small businesses, tax breaks for two-thirds of California families, and rental breaks for those who those most affected by the pandemic. “

Since the pandemic began, California – the nation’s most populous state with nearly 40 million residents – has processed more than 20 million jobless claims and paid out more than $ 128 billion in benefits.

Full coverage of EDD payment system fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic

CONTINUE READING: California EDD fraud conviction results in 6-year prison sentence for Stockton Man

Typically, the highest money anyone can get from unemployment benefits in California is $ 450 a week. But Congress added an extra $ 300 a week because of the pandemic. This additional money does not expire until September.

However, as coronavirus cases have declined while more people are being vaccinated, employers have indicated they are having a hard time finding work, especially in the service industry.

Kyle Conner, who owns the Alameda Cinema Grill, Alameda Theater, and Cineplex, is one of those small businesses struggling to reopen fully.

“I started closing on Mondays,” he told KPIX 5. “I was always out seven days a week.”

The staff shortage also forced him to shorten his business hours. He has a dozen vacancies.

“I work with two chefs,” he said. “Before the pandemic, we had five or six. I’m looking for a head chief, two or three line cooks, probably three waiters, bussers, dishwashers, bartenders. Everything.”

Labor experts blamed the labor shortage in part on adding extra money from unemployment benefits to incentivizing people to stay home. And not only the gastronomy, the entire service industry is facing the same challenge.

MORE NEWS: NorCal prison inmate, 3 others charged with $ 1.2 million EDD fraud program in California

“We were open seven days a week before the pandemic,” said Julie Pruitt, owner of Acne Specialists of Oakland. “And now we’re only five open because I don’t have enough staff.”

The post California EDD Now Requiring Proof of Job Search To Gather Unemployment Advantages – CBS San Francisco appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.