New Investigation Looks at Causes of EDD’s Pandemic Meltdown

We look at what caused the unprecedented failure of California’s unemployment system and how the state is proposing to fix it.

KQED's Forum

November 13, 202355m 45s

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Show Notes

California’s Employment Development Department paid out up to $30 billion in fraudulent claims during the Covid pandemic. Meanwhile, some six million Californians with legitimate claims saw their unemployment benefits delayed or improperly denied. That’s according to a new investigation by CalMatters, which found that state agencies and lawmakers were aware of red flags and security holes for years, but chose not to address them. As the fraud’s total cost – and its human toll – continue to be tallied, government agencies and private contractors point fingers at each other. We look at what caused the unprecedented failure of California’s unemployment system and how the state is proposing to fix it.