Federal Audit Shows DWD Paid Out Fewer Pandemic Unemployment Benefits to Minority Wisconsinites

Tuesday, June 14th, 2022 -- 12:00 PM

(Raymond Neupert, WRN) A new federal report shows that minority Wisconsinites were half as likely to successfully receive pandemic unemployment benefits as their white counterparts.
 
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that a US Government Accountability Office audit showed that Black, Hispanic, and Native Wisconsinites were around half as likely to be getting their Pandemic Unemployment Assistance payments in 2020 and 2021.

The Department of Workforce Development is unable to explain the discrepancies. Wisconsin's unemployment system suffered major breakdowns as record numbers of workers applied for benefits during the pandemic.

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