Ian Greer

Research professor, School of Industrial and Labor Relations

Ian Greer is a research professor at Cornell University who focuses on labor policy and living wages in New York state. He says this was an overdue change.

Greer says:

“The increase in the maximum unemployment insurance benefit is going to make a huge difference for thousands of unemployed workers. Freezing the maximum benefit level for six years made New York one of the least generous states, taking into account cost of living. Now our benefits levels are roughly in line with other states in the Northeast.

“Unfortunately, the political deal that allows this to happen did not fix the long-term structural problems that have led to underfinancing the system since the 1970s. Nor does it address the regressive nature of our state unemployment insurance taxes, which, due to a low taxable wage base, tends to favor big business at the expense of small business.”