Unemployment Insurance Modernization

Michele Evermore

heldrich_robb — Thu, 07 Sep 2023 14:52:47 +0000

Michele Evermore

heldrich_robb Thu, 09/07/2023 - 14:52

Visiting Non-resident Scholar

Evermore

Michele

Michele Evermore is a Visiting Non-resident Scholar at the Heldrich Center. She is also a Senior Fellow at The Century Foundation, where she focuses on policy for improving the nation’ social insurance programs. One of the nation’s leading authorities on unemployment insurance (UI), Michele most recently served as deputy director for policy in the newly formed Office of Unemployment Insurance Modernization in the U.S. Department of Labor. In that role, she spearheaded efforts to improve the delivery of UI benefits in a timely and accurate manner and ensure equitable access for underserved communities. She represented those efforts to Congress and the press through technical assistance, on-the-record interviews, and Congressional testimony.

Michele worked for the National Employment Law Project from 2018 to 2021, focused on building a more inclusive and sufficient unemployment insurance system. Her work led to the successful passage and implementation of historic protections for unemployed workers, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the past, she has worked to promote worker rights as a legislative advocate for labor unions, including the Service Employees International Union District 1199 New England and National Nurses United. She also worked for the Obama administration’s Department of Labor as a senior legislative officer. Prior to that, she worked in Congress for a decade, primarily for then-Senator Tom Harkin, and also for the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. In those roles, she worked to advance worker protections, labor organizing rights, and improving retirement security in a variety of private pension plan designs, as well as Social Security.

Michele has testified before Congress several times and is frequently quoted in major news outlets outlets, including the Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, CNN, Good Morning America, NPR, Marketplace, Associated Press, Reuters, and USA Today, as well as many large regional newspapers, radio shows, and television news. She holds a M.S. in labor studies from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a B.A. in interpersonal rhetoric and communication from Iowa State University.

Contributor Type

Faculty & Affiliated Faculty

New Paper Released: New Jersey’s Worker-centered Approach to Improving the Administration of Unemployment Insurance

heldrich_robb — Thu, 07 Sep 2023 15:02:13 +0000

New Paper Released: New Jersey’s Worker-centered Approach to Improving the Administration of Unemployment Insurance

Published Date

September 7, 2023

heldrich_robb Thu, 09/07/2023 - 15:02

Type

Announcement

Topic

Unemployment Insurance Modernization

Related Experts

Michele Evermore

Carl E. Van Horn, Ph.D.

Carousel Image

Worker_UI_Notice_Cropped.jpeg

Carousel Enabled

Off

Carousel Heading

New Research Paper Released!

Carousel Tagline

New Jersey’s Worker-centered Approach to Improving the Administration of Unemployment Insurance

Language

English

Featured Image

Excerpt

Unemployment Insurance (UI) is one of the most important social benefits and worker protections in the U.S. economy. The economic crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated both the reward of getting earned benefits to jobless people during an emergency and the price of systemic shortcomings and failure. A new paper from the Heldrich Center describes the policy changes, business practices, and technology innovations that the State of New Jersey is employing to ensure that the right people get UI benefits accurately and on time. The paper also describes the political and policy reasons for why New Jersey consistently performs among the top states in benefits access and wage replacement.

The paper was written by Michele Evermore, a leading national expert on UI. Michele is a Senior Fellow at the Century Foundation and a Visiting Non-resident Scholar at the Heldrich Center. The Families and Workers Fund provided funding to support this research.

Tagline

Provides information about a new research paper about New Jersey's approach to improving the administration of Unemployment Insurance. Also includes information about upcoming related events.

New Jersey’s Worker-centered Approach to Improving the Administration of Unemployment Insurance

heldrich_robb — Thu, 07 Sep 2023 14:45:07 +0000

New Jersey’s Worker-centered Approach to Improving the Administration of Unemployment Insurance

Topic

Unemployment Insurance Modernization

heldrich_robb Thu, 09/07/2023 - 14:45

Published Date

September 7, 2023

Type

Research Publications & Reports

Related Authors

Michele Evermore

Work Category

Research Products

Attachments

New_Jersey’s_Worker-centered_Approach_to_Improving_the_Administration_of_Unemployment_Insurance.pdf (2.97 MB)

Featured Image

Excerpt

Describes the policy changes, business practices, and technology innovations that the State of New Jersey is employing to ensure that the right people get Unemployment Insurance benefits accurately and on time. Also describes the political and policy reasons for why New Jersey consistently performs among the top states in benefits access and wage replacement.

Tagline

Examines New Jersey's approach to improving the administration of Unemployment Insurance.