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Fake jobless claims a big problem
But, fraudulent filings not factored into unemployment rate
unemployment fraud website
Shown is the front page of the Kansas Department of Labor’s unemployment fraud reporting website. The state and nation have seen a spike in fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With Kansas’ unemployment rate nearly double that of a year ago, it is easy to see the impact of COVID-19 on the jobless picture. And, with the Kansas Department of Labor stopping over 2,000 fake claims daily, it is clear fraud is running rampant, as well.This begs the question: Do all these fraudulent filings skew the jobless numbers reported by the KDOL? The answer is no, say state officials.“The fraudulent claims are eliminated from the labor report KDOL puts out on a monthly basis,” said Jerry Grasso, KDOL communications director. “In terms of fraud, we announced a widespread awareness campaign in October.”Released Dec. 18, the state’s unemployment rate stood at 5.6% in November.