Unemployment and reopening: What happens next?

Since the start of the pandemic, 36 million Americans have filed for unemployment.

At least two million New Yorkers have collected $9.2 billion in unemployment benefits.

But as reopening begins and more people go back to work, what happens to unemployment?

WITH MOREBUSINESSES BEINGALLOWED TO OPERATE-- MORE PEOPLE WILLBE ABLE TO GO BACKTO WORK.BUT SOME MIGHTTHINK IT IS STILL NOTSAFE TO RETURN.NIKKI DEMENTRILOOKS AT SOME OFTHE OPTIONS PEOPLEHAVE AS THEECONOMY BEGINS TORESTART.36 MILLION AMERICANSHAVE FILED FORUNEMPLOYMENTBENEFITS SINCE THESTART OF THEPANDEMIC.THAT INCLUDES TWOMILLION NEWYORKERS.THE STATE HAS PAIDOUT MORE THAN 9BILLION DOLLARS INBENEFITS.BUT WHAT HAPPENSAS REOPENINGBEGINS?"NEW YORK AS A STATEIS NOT ALLOWINGBUSINESSES TOREOPEN EITHER INUNSAFEENVIRONMENTS ORWITH UNSAFECONDITIONS."THAT'S DEPARTMENTOF LABORCOMMISSIONERROBERTA REARDONON A PRESS CALL LASTWEEK."OUR UNEMPLOYMENTSYSTEM HASGUARDRAILS IN PLACETO ENSURE THOSECOLLECTINGUNEMPLOYMENTBENEFITS ARE DOINGSO BECAUSE OF LACKOF WORK."NEW YORK HAS THREESCENARIOS WHEN ITCOMES TO RE-OPENING ANDUNEMPLOYMENTBENEFITS.TO STILL QUALIFY FORBENEFITS: A PERSONCAN TURN DOWN AJOB FOR A "SPECIFIC"COVID-19 HEALTH-RELATED ISSUE.THIS MEANS IFSOMEONE IS HIGH-RISK AND A DOCTORSAYS IT'S UNSAFE TORETURN TO WORK."TRAIN PASSESANOTHER REASONIF THERE ARE NON-HEALTH RELATEDCOVID-19 ISSUES,SUCH AS BEING ACHILD'S PRIMARYCARETAKER.CHILDBUT TURNING DOWN AJOB BECAUSE OF ANY"GENERALIZED FEAR"OF THE VIRUS OR NOTLIKING THE JOBMEANS BENEFITSSTOP."N:SOME HAVEREACHED OUT TO USSAYING THEY'REFEARFUL OF GOINGBACK TO WORK.WHAT'S YOURMESSAGE TO THEM ASWE BEGIN PHASE ONETODAY AND HOPEFULLYPHASE TWO IN TWOWEEKS?H: THEY SHOULDUNDERSTAND THATTODAY IS NOT ANARBITRARY DAY.

WEDIDN'T MAKE UP THESEDATES, WE DIDN'TMAKE UP THESEMETRICS.H: PEOPLE SHOULDREALIZE THAT WE'VETAKEN EVERYMEASURE NECESSARYTO PROTECT PUBLICHEALTH AND SO THEYSHOULD FEEL SECURE.""ANY BUSINESSREOPENING HAS TOFOLLOW STRICTGUIDELINES -- LIKE APLAN FOR SOCIALDISTANCING, MAKINGSURE PEOPLE WEARMASKS AND ENACTINGDISINFECTINGPROTOCOLS.THEY WILL ALSO HAVETO CERTIFY TO THESTATE THEY WILLFOLLOW THOSESTANDARDS.ANYONE WHO FEELSTHEIR EMPLOYER IS INVIOLATION ISENCOURAGED TOREPORT IT TO THELOCAL HEALTHDEPARTMENT OR THEDEPARTMENT OFLABOR.COMMISSIONERREARDON SAYS THEDEPARTMENT HASLOOKED INTO 20,000COMPLAINTS OFUNSAFE WORKENVIRONMENTSALREADY ACROSS THESTATE.BOTH THECOMMISSIONER AND LT.GOV URGE ANYONEWHO MAY FINDTHEMSELVES IN THISSITUATION TO REPORTIT ATFORWARD.NY.GOV.

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