Not enough unemployed workers receive the support they need when looking for work. Nationally, the Unemployment Insurance system leaves out many more unemployed workers than it covers, with Black workers, undocumented immigrant workers, other workers of color, low-wage workers and women facing the most barriers to receiving benefits. Economic downturns amplify these systemic gaps.

Despite delivering benefits to about 50% of its unemployed population – a high figure compared to other states – New Jersey’s current unemployment insurance system still leaves behind more than 700,000 workers. Like the rest of the country, New Jersey needs programs to ensure pathways to quality employment for all. It must act to build on the advances secured in recent years and fulfill this promise.