Labor Chief Says 29 States Paying Virus Relief Jobless Benefits

The nation’s top labor official voiced confidence that his agency is tirelessly helping states overcome unemployment insurance challenges during the pandemic-induced economic crisis, even as states and workers continue to express impatience.

In the weeks since the $2 trillion CARES Act (Public Law 116-136) was signed into law March 27, Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia and the Labor Department have been under pressure from Democrats and Republicans to implement an overhaul of the federal-state unemployment insurance system to meet the needs of workers sidelined due to Covid-19.

“I used the authority provided to me in the legislation to expand on what ...