As Black NC'ians Face Higher Job Loss, Senators Tillis & Burr Must Take Action to Extend UI Benefits

As Black North Carolinians Face Higher Unemployment, Senators Tillis and Burr Must Take Action to Extend Unemployment Benefits

Historic overall unemployment sits at 13.3%, but for Black Americans, unemployment is nearly 17%

Raleigh, N.C. — Piedmont Rising Executive Director Casey Wilkinson released the following statement as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that while the national unemployment rate sits at 13.3 percent, the coronavirus jobs crisis continues to have a disproportionate impact on Black Americans:

“Make no mistake, his report is no cause for celebration. More than 21 million Americans are still unemployed. And for Black communities, job losses continue to rise.

“More than 1.4 million North Carolinians are still out of work, but Senators Tillis and Burr are still pushing to gut enhanced unemployment benefits with no plan to make it easier for jobless North Carolinians to get health insurance. Not only did Tillis and Burr vote against an extra $600 in unemployment benefits, but they have also voted to put health care access out of reach for too many, including by refusing to push for an open enrollment period for uninsured North Carolinians during this pandemic.

“Actions speak louder than words. We need lawmakers, like Senators Tillis and Burr, to move quickly to fix the underlying inequities and economic problems that have made this crisis so much worse for our most vulnerable communities. It’s time for our lawmakers to stop the attack on health care access and unemployment benefits and to support extending unemployment benefits beyond their current expiration date in just a few weeks.”

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About Piedmont Rising Piedmont Rising is a 501 (c)4 issue advocacy organization built by and for North Carolinians to advocate for lower insurance premiums and prescription drug costs and to ensure that more people have access to safe and affordable health care. Through grassroots organizing, education, and engagement, we are amplifying our health care stories and holding our elected officials accountable to the people, and issues they were elected to represent. www.piedmontrising.org