We’re familiar with the normal consequences of layoffs and unemployment: lost income, health insurance and increased stress and anxiety. The LA Times had an interesting article this week highlighting how “California’s rising unemployment rate is driving a steep increase in child support cases, as the newly jobless appeal for increases in monthly payments or argue that they can no longer afford the amounts ordered by the court.”
It’s a bit of a perfect storm, as parents who’ve been laid off are more likely to seek child support payments that they need more than ever, while those responsible for paying who’ve lost jobs see it taken out of their unemployment checks by the state. In this scenario, however, just about no one wins.
The on-line version of the article includes animated maps of child support and unemployment for counties in California. Check it out to see how the unemployment rate in California increased steadily from 5.4% (less than 1 million persons unemployed) in January 2007 to 11.4% (more than 2 million unemployed) in March 2009.
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Bill Pitkin 