Why is Expanding Unemployment Insurance Eligibility a Racial, Gender, and Disability Justice Imperative?

When workers lose a job, unemployment insurance (UI) provides crucial economic security. However, the overwhelming majority of jobless workers do not get benefits. Many are discouraged from even applying. Others are shut out because the federal government allows states to impose stringent eligibility requirements that disproportionately exclude workers of color, women workers, older workers, and workers with disabilities.

Unemployment insurance does not meet the needs of the majority of the workforce. The eligibility requirements for unemployment insurance must be expanded so more workers–especially women and Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and Asian American/Pacific Islander workers and workers with disabilities–can be covered by these crucial benefits.