NC House Republicans call on Gov. Cooper to reinstate unemployment work search requirements
Raleigh, NC – North Carolina House Majority Leader John Bell led a letter with sixty of his Republican colleagues in calling on Governor Roy Cooper to reinstate unemployment work search requirements.
While the Governor’s March 1, 2021 executive order did reinstate this requirement for “new claimants,” it was not extended to all individuals currently receiving unemployment benefits.
“In our districts, we continue to hear from small business owners who are unable to fill new jobs,” the letter states. “We believe reinstating work search requirements is a common-sense step to help connect the unemployed with new job opportunities.
“With our state now fully reopened, it is imperative that we encourage North Carolinians to explore current job openings and utilize reemployment resources. This will help the unemployed while addressing the growing number of job openings across the state that are not being filled.”
The full letter can be found online here and below.
Dear Governor Cooper,
With your recently announced decision to end COVID-19 restrictions on businesses, particularly with the hospitality industry, we are writing to strongly urge you to reinstate unemployment work search requirements.
While your March 1, 2021 executive order did reinstate this requirement for “new claimants,” it should also be extended to all individuals currently receiving unemployment benefits.
The North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association (NCRLA) reports that restaurants in North Carolina are down about 70,000 workers—roughly 17% of the industry’s workforce—compared to before the pandemic.
Furthermore, there are 250,000 people in North Carolina currently receiving unemployment benefits each week, according to the state Department of Commerce. Yet, North Carolina’s workforce system, NCWorks, lists over 200,000 current job openings in the state, and this does not include every opening since not all employers utilize the system.
In our districts, we continue to hear from small business owners who are unable to fill new jobs. We believe reinstating work search requirements is a common-sense step to help connect the unemployed with new job opportunities.
With our state now fully reopened, it is imperative that we encourage North Carolinians to explore current job openings and utilize reemployment resources. This will help the unemployed while addressing the growing number of job openings across the state that are not being filled.
Thank you for your attention to this important issue.
Respectfully,
Rep. John Bell
Rep. Dean Arp
Rep. Kristin Baker, M.D.
Rep. Jamie Boles
Rep. John Bradford
Rep. Mark Brody
Rep. Dana Bumgardner
Rep. Jerry Carter
Rep. Mike Clampitt
Rep. George Cleveland
Rep. Ted Davis
Rep. Jimmy Dixon
Rep. Jeffrey Elmore
Rep. John Faircloth
Rep. Karl Gillespie
Rep. Ed Goodwin
Rep. Dudley Greene
Rep. Destin Hall
Rep. Kyle Hall
Rep. Bobby Hanig
Rep. Jon Hardister
Rep. Kelly Hastings
Rep. Chris Humphrey
Rep. Pat Hurley
Rep. Frank Iler
Rep. Jake Johnson
Rep. Brenden Jones
Rep. Keith Kidwell
Rep. Donny Lambeth
Rep. Pat McElraft
Rep. Jeffrey McNeely
Rep. Allen McNeill
Rep. Charlie Miller
Rep. Grey Mills
Rep. Tim Moffitt
Rep. Ben Moss
Rep. Erin Paré
Rep. Howard Penny
Rep. Ray Pickett
Rep. Larry Pittman
Rep. Mark Pless
Rep. Larry Potts
Rep. Dennis Riddell
Rep. Jason Saine
Rep. John Sauls
Rep. Phil Shepard
Rep. Carson Smith
Rep. Sarah Stevens
Rep. Larry Strickland
Rep. John Szoka
Rep. John Torbett
Rep. Steve Tyson
Rep. Harry Warren
Rep. Sam Watford
Rep. Diane Wheatley
Rep. Donna McDowell White
Rep. David Willis
Rep. Matthew Winslow
Rep. Larry Yarborough
Rep. Lee Zachary
Rep. Jeff Zenger
