unemployment

Keystone XL was not an American jobs bonanza

Anonymous — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 19:09:06 +0000

Read more here from author Brad Johnson, a Boston native, who writes about climate and public policy for ThinkProgress.

As if unemployed people don't have enough to worry about

adamg — Tue, 17 May 2011 19:22:46 +0000

The state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reports a cyberbreach may have let somebody collect personal data on people receiving Massachusetts unemployment benefits:

EOLWD learned yesterday that the computer virus (W32.QAKBOT) was not remediated as originally believed and that the persistence of the virus resulted in a data breach. Once it was discovered, the system was shut down and the breach is no longer active. W32.QAKBOT may have impacted as many as 1500 computers housed in DUA and DCS including the computers at the One-Stop Career Centers.

There is a possibility that as a result of the infection, the virus collected confidential claimant or employer information. This information may include names, Social Security Numbers, Employer Identification Numbers, email addresses and residential or business addresses.

Anybody who filed a claim between April 19 and May 13 that required manual help from a state worker could be at risk, the office says.

Symantec says W32.QAKBOT is actually a worm, and is designed to steal data from infected computers:

It downloads additional files, steals information, and opens a back door on the compromised computer. The worm also contains rootkit functionality to allow it to hide its presence.

554,000 in Massachusetts Struggle to Put Food on the Table

Project Bread — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:33:21 +0000

Project Bread, the state’s leading antihunger organization, released numbers from its upcoming annual status report on hunger in the Commonwealth. The disquieting trends described in this report, caused by high unemployment, point to 554,000 people in the Commonwealth struggling with hunger. Food insecurity has found its way into middle class suburbs and has driven low-income people further into crisis. The report argues for a public health approach and asks that the state continue to bring systemic solutions to scale — especially healthy school and summer food programs for kids.

Navigating the Unemployment Office

DaveA — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 22:40:39 +0000

Over at DaveWrites, I've posted 7 tips on navigating the unemployment bureaucracy in Massachusetts based on my own experience being laid off on New Years Eve. A couple of key points:

Just go stand in line. Go a day early and ask how early you need to be there, then come back the next day and get a number. Don't waste your time trying to get through on the phone.