Need To Know

Staying On The Job

Clip: Season 2 | 7m 52s

Rhode Island is using unemployment insurance to keep workers on the job. The so-called "workshare plan" enables businesses thinking of firing workers to reduce their hours instead. The state makes up most of the difference in pay. This means the state pays out less than if the workers had been fired, employees get to keep their jobs, and companies keep their workforces essentially intact.