The U.S. Labor Department’s independent watchdog has subpoenaed all states for comprehensive unemployment insurance data on millions of claims filed since March, when the coronavirus outbreak was declared a pandemic, a sweeping fraud-detection probe that some workforce professionals say could delay payment of benefits.
The subpoenas were issued June 19 and gave states until Friday, July 10, to submit data on all claims for regular unemployment insurance and new programs funded by virus-relief law. DOL’s Office of Inspector General requested 26 different categories of information for each claim, such as bank account numbers and employer addresses, according to a copy ...