NC Gov Praises Debt Reduction

At a news conference at a Raleigh NCWorks office Monday, Governor Pat McCrory praised the drastic reduction of North Carolina’s unemployment insurance debt to the federal government, which dropped  by approximately $1.5 billion since January 2013, when the obligation stood at $2.6 billion. The governor also praised the success of NCWorks in matching employers and with jobseekers, but said more reforms are needed to modernize the state’s workforce development efforts.  Governor McCrory said, "I am encouraged by the incredible progress DES and NCWorks have made in a short period of time and I look forward to working with the General Assembly for more reforms that will keep up the positive momentum we’ve built.” The governor said he would like to see the General Assembly modernize workforce development laws to account for the impact of online job searches. He wants a photo ID to be required for the collection of benefits and statutory changes that would protect the confidentiality of claimants during the appeals process, while at the same time preserving North Carolina’s federal eligibility.