This class is an interdisciplinary problem solving class offered at the Law School through the Problem Solving Initiative (PSI).
In the United States, Unemployment Insurance (UI) was created to provide temporary financial support to households experiencing involuntary employment in the wake of the Great Depression. The Unemployment Insurance system is administered by state governments, and it is funded by state and federal taxes on businesses.
The UI system faces a number of challenges, including outdated eligibility requirements, insufficient funding, and fallout from the 2008-2009 global financial crisis, which strained the system to a point from which many states have not recovered.
Multidisciplinary teams of students will study challenges facing the UI system, and they will examine state UI system vulnerabilities and explore novel federal public policy and financing strategies. By the end of the term, students will develop a plan to improve and modernize the UI safety net, drawing on insights from law, public policy, business, social work, economics, and other relevant fields.
This class is open to all University of Michigan graduate and professional students. Please note: Non-Law students are responsible for checking with their own schools, colleges, or units to learn if a PSI class will count toward graduation or other departmental requirements.
Non-law graduate/professional students seeking to apply can contact [email protected].
Instructors: Steve Gray (Law), Rachael Kohl (Law), Sue Ann Savas (Social Work)