Oregon's unemployment claims drop 8% when work search required

Oregon Employment Department statistics ^ | 05/31/2012 | Aimhigh

[aimhigh]

Beginning Sunday, April 29, 2012, the Oregon Employment Department began requiring all individuals to report their weekly work search when claiming a week of unemployment benefits. Prior to this date, only one extension (EB) required work search to be reported. The above date translates to week number 18 in Oregon's system.
So, what happened? Claims dropped dramatically!

Week 16 - 114,566 weekly claims filed.
Week 17 - 113,092 weekly claims filed.
Week 18 - 104,437 weekly claims filed. This is an 8.3% drop!
Week 19 - 104,248 weekly claims filed.
Week 20 - 101,398 weekly claims filed.

The statistics are taken from the 102 Report at this link:
http://www.employment.oregon.gov/EMPLOY/BUDGET/UI/pages/2012-reports.aspx#UI_Pub_102___Weekly_UI_Program_Statistics
The total weekly claim numbers are found on page 3 of the report.

[aimhigh]

Now we know how many of the unemployed were scamming the system.

[twister881]

Smokin’ out those Amish.

[Vigilanteman]

How much do you suppose claims would drop if claimants were required to pass the same drug test periodically which many of us in the work force must pass?

[aimhigh]

Math correction, it was a 7.7% drop.

[apillar]

Scary, I always assumed that ALL unemployment benefits required you to be searching for a job. (for that matter if you really just wanted to stay on unemployment, would it be all that hard to just meet the requirement by applying for a couple jobs each week that you stood zero chance of getting, like a Surgeon position with no medical degree.)

[aimhigh]

How much do you suppose claims would drop if claimants were required to pass the same drug test periodically which many of us in the work force must pass?

0.2%.

[aimhigh]

Scary, I always assumed that ALL unemployment benefits required you to be searching for a job.p>The requirement is there, but many states don't require the claimant to actually list where they looked for work.

[Gritty]

I wonder how many of those went on Social Security Disabilty instead?

[Persevero]

“I wonder how many of those went on Social Security Disabilty instead?”

Actually pretty hard to get, I understand.

As for job search, my son was on UI for like 6 months (has a GREAT job now, thank God) - anyway, he never had to show any evidence that he was looking for work.

[Personal Responsibility]

How detailed does this “work search” need to be? Is it just “you have to provide a list of companies you applied / dropped resume’s off to”? If so, just by driving around it’s pretty easy to compile a list of 20 companies in week and say “I applied at these places”

How much follow up is there? My guess: none.

People will try to get away with what they can get away with. The easier it’s made to scam the system, the more who will do so.

The 8.3% drop represents people too afraid of the system to continue gaming it. If there is actual follow up, there will be another significant drop and that drop will last until such time as the follow up stops.

[martinidon]

amazing how easy it was to drop the unemployment rate...

[winodog]

I am against drug testing for the most part, however its too late so I agree that all entitlements should be DT.
Unenjoyment is like SS.

Make it harder to stay on UE for a long time or abolish it but no drug testing for someone who cant find work in this economy.

Drug test anyone who runs for office and drug test them often. The more important you are (congressman/sinawhore) the more often you should be tested.

At least once a month for most all public office holders.

[Pearls Before Swine]

As my ex-wife used to say, “The only thing worse than looking for a job is actually finding one.”

[ichabod1]

Apparently that’s what they were required to do and lo and behold, a statistically significant percentage actually found a job when they looked.

[Vigilanteman]

. . . for that matter if you really just wanted to stay on unemployment, would it be all that hard to just meet the requirement by applying for a couple jobs each week that you stood zero chance of getting . . .

Back in the 1980's, I worked retail in Los Angeles County. Hardly a day passed when some slackard didn't walk in asking for a job then asking us to sign off on some form when we rejected them.

We actually were hiring, but these people were dressed so badly they would make a wino look respectable by comparison. If it happened to be a slow day and we wanted to have a little fun, we'd hand them an employment application to fill out, they were usually out of the store quicker than a bunch of illegal aliens hanging around Home Depot's parking lot when an ICE van drives in.

[ichabod1]

Or the way my Mom put it, everybody wants a job until they actually have to go to work.

[Rational Thought]

Don't know if I trust this statistic or not.

Let's just say for argument sake that it's correct. The implication is that unemployment is more voluntary than being reported meaning that the jobs market isn't as bad (under Obama) as is being reported.

From what I continue to see with my own eyes, that is a faulty premise.

[Pearls Before Swine]

Or the way my Mom put it, everybody wants a job until they actually have to go to work.

My current wife puts it this way, "That's why they call it 'work'. If it were fun, they'd call it 'play.'"

[oh8eleven]

unemployment claims drop 8% when work search required
A few years ago, I was on unemployment for about six months when I got an email from NYS Dept of Labor.
They said that in order to continue receiving UI benefits I had to start filling out Form NY123XX weekly, listing at least 3 companies I had applied for work.
I replied that I would fill out the form when they told me what form the people on welfare filled out weekly showing where they applied for work.
They never replied, I never filled out the form and my UI continued w/o interruption.

[GraceG]

Now how much welfare costs could we reduce if we made random Drug testing a mandatory condition for receiving welfare?

I am sure welfare and EBT rates would plummet and a bunch of money would mysertiously free itself up.