The Indicator from Planet Money
The Indicator from Planet Money
NPR
The fired labor economist who couldn't get unemployment
8 minutes Posted Jun 8, 2026 at 7:00 am.
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A top labor economist encounters the endlessly frustrating labyrinth of filing for unemployment after getting fired by President Trump. Why are unemployment benefits so hard to get, and can we do anything to fix the system? 

Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.

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