By M.D. Kittle
MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers’ dysfunctional Department of Workforce Development isn’t just stunningly incompetent, it may also be racist, according to a new government watchdog report.
The Government Accountability Office found white applicants in Wisconsin received federal pandemic unemployment assistance (PUA) benefits at twice the rate of black claimants. American Indian and Hispanic applicants were also much less likely to receive PUA payments than white claimants.
“Issues ramping up the new program to meet urgent, immense demand meant some claimants went months without income. We also found racial disparities in who received benefits in 3 of 4 states we analyzed, e.g., Black applicants were half as likely to obtain benefits as White applicants in 2 states,” the GAO report states, noting Wisconsin and North Dakota.
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