OCTOBER 29, 2009 ISSUE
State of Unemployment in the High Country—Fall 2009
The North Carolina Employment Security Commission provided data this week stating that the High Country’s unemployment rate in September was 10.1 percent, the lowest it’s been this year.
The unemployment numbers have shown a declination in the seven High Country counties beginning in the July-August timeframe that ranged from 1.5 to 0.3 percent. In the August-September timeframe, the highest decrease was 0.3 percent.
The unemployment rates for each county and the percentage differences from the August unemployment rates are as follows: Alleghany-10.9 percent (a 0.3 percent decrease from August), Ashe-10 percent (no change from August), Avery-7.9 percent (a 0.1 percent decrease from August), Mitchell-11 percent (a 0.2 percent decrease from August), Watauga-6.9 percent (a 0.2 percent decrease from August), Wilkes-12.9 percent (no change from August) and Yancey-10.9 percent (a 0.3 percent decrease from August).
Part of the reason for September’s decrease is the number of people who have worn out their Unemployment Insurance benefits.
“Watauga has consistently been one of the lowest counties in the state with their unemployment insurance rates and is currently the fourth out of 100,” said John Greene of the North Carolina Employment Security Commission.
According to data provided by the North Carolina Employment Security Commission, residents of the seven High Country counties received a total of $66,224,811 in unemployment benefits in the 2008-09 fiscal years. The payment totals include regular unemployment insurance, emergency unemployment compensation tier I, emergency unemployment compensation tier II, extended benefits and federal additional compensation.
“Several claimants have exhausted their basic benefits but only a very few have exhausted all their extended benefits,” said Greene.
With these benefits running out, residents are in need of resources which could assist them in their own job hunt; luckily, a few options have been made available.
The State Library of North Carolina in conjunction with the N.C. Department of Commerce, the Employment Security Commission, JobLink Career Centers and NCLive developed the Job Search Toolkit, www.jobsearchtoolkit.pbwiki.com. The website provides self-assessment tools, a browse-able list of occupations in North Carolina, labor market trends and a comparison of fees and tuition for North Carolina colleges and universities. For more ideas and guidance, the NetLibrary included on the website offers numerous titles that cover career exploration, the nuts and bolts of job hunting and education.
For laid-off workers interested in starting their own business, the U.S. Department of Labor produced a demonstration project in April called Project GATE (Growing America Through Entrepreneurship). GATE provides coaching and scholarships for custom training to help people plan and start their own businesses. However, because GATE is a demonstration project, there is a control group, meaning one in every four applicants will not be accepted into the program. Individuals not accepted receive a number of referrals to other entrepreneurial sources that can assist them. This series begins in Wilkes County on Tuesday. For more information on Project GATE, click to www.ncprojectgate.org.
With hopes to help put residents of the High Country back to work, the Workforce Investment Act, augmented by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, has helped pay for community colleges in the High Country to offer enhanced training in programs such as nurse aide I, weatherization, green associate, carpentry, masonry, electrical installation, HVAC, welding, office/clerical support, phlebotomy and nursing assistant. Students in these programs will not only be trained in their chosen field, but will also receive in-depth career counseling, job shadowing, employability skills training and a Career Readiness Certificate.
Another useful website developed by the High Country Workforce Development Board is available by clicking to www.recoveryinthehighcountry.com. This site is made to assist individuals and families who are struggling in the current economy, rethinking their career paths, considering the idea of starting a small business and who want to keep up with local, state and national economic news. The site provides helpful sections including: Survive a Layoff, Find A Job, Start/Save A Business, Get Training/Upgrade Your Skills, Events & Training Calendar and Stimulus Watch.
The High Country is also home to the local JobLink Career Center, located in Boone. “The JobLink is a joint effort between several agencies to provide services of a variety of needs to a variety of clients,” said Greene.
JobLink partners include, but are not limited to, Social Services, Vocational Rehabilitation, Community Colleges, WIA, ASU, etc. For more information, click to www.ncesc.com.
Recent and Projected Benefits Exhaustions by County as of Oct. 20
Part of the reason for September’s unemployment rate decrease is the number of people who have exhausted their Unemployment Insurance benefits. In the last 60 days, 156 UI recipients in the seven High Country counties have come to the end of their benefit period, and another 248 will exhaust their benefits in the next 60 days, based on data provided by the Employment Security Commission
What Is COBRA?
The U.S Congress passed the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) in 1985. COBRA acts as an insurance program that allows former employees, retirees, spouses, former spouses and dependent children health coverage at a group rate that would be terminated due to certain events after leaving employment.
A person becomes eligible for COBRA continuation coverage by having been enrolled in an employer’s health plan when employed. In order to qualify for COBRA, the health plan must continue to be in effect for active employees.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Employers must notify plan administrators of a qualifying event within 30 days after an employee’s death, termination, reduced hours of employment or entitlement to Medicare if interested in qualifying for COBRA coverage. To be a qualified beneficiary, it is necessary to notify the plan administrator of a qualifying event within 60 days after divorce or legal separation or a child’s ceasing to be covered as a dependant under planned rules. Plan participants and beneficiaries must be sent an election notice before 14 days after the plan administrator learns that a qualifying event has occurred. Once this happens, the individual is given 60 days to decide whether to elect COBRA continuation coverage. The person has 45 days after electing coverage to pay the initial premium.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) provides premium reductions and additional election opportunities for health benefits under COBRA.
The U.S Department of Labor states that the premium reduction applies to periods of health coverage which began February 17, 2009, and will last up to nine months for those eligible for COBRA during the time periods of September 1, 2008, through December 31, 2009, due to an involuntary termination of employment that occurred during those times.
Under the ARRA, the U.S Department of Labor has developed four notice packages to fit different plans and individuals. These are as follows: a general notice to be given to qualified beneficiaries covered by plans subject to the federal COBRA at the initial COBRA election opportunity; an abbreviated general notice, which may be furnished to individuals who elected and are still covered by COBRA; an alternative notice to be sent by issuers of group health insurance coverage subject to state continuation coverage laws; or a notice of extended election periods for eligible individuals who declined or discontinued COBRA coverage.
For more information, click to www.COBRAinsurance.com or click to www.dol.gov.
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