Advocates of unemployed urge reverse of jobless benefit cuts

By EMERY P. DALESIO
AP Business Writer

RALEIGH, NC (AP) — Advocates say benefit cuts approved two years ago are leaving laid-off workers with unemployment benefits that are too small and are gone too quickly to keep struggling families out of poverty.

George Wentworth of the National Employment Law Project said Thursday the 1,200 workers facing layoffs from Freightliner truck factories near Charlotte and 350 cut at the MillerCoors brewing plant in Eden will find a smaller safety net.

Advocates want state lawmakers to increase jobless benefits before a new recession hits the country. Gov. Pat McCrory’s office didn’t respond when asked whether the governor plans to propose higher unemployment benefits.

North Carolina made permanent benefit cuts and raised taxes on businesses temporarily in 2013 to repay early a $2.5 billion debt to Washington. The money was used for earlier unemployment payments.

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