NYS Lags Behind in Payouts to Help Unemployed, Injured Workers

Dec 9, 2024

1 min

Gregory DeFreitas, professor of economics and director, Center for Study of Labor and Democracy, was interviewed by Newsday for a story on a report from the New York State Comptroller’s Office that shows that the state lags behind others when it comes to cash payouts for several social safety net programs meant to help unemployed or injured workers.

Dr. DeFreitas explained that the state’s unemployment benefits system was challenged during the COVID-19 pandemic. The state still owes the federal government $6.2 billion in debt from borrowing funds to pay out a record number of unemployment claims spurred by pandemic job losses, according to the report.

“We’re only one of three states in debt like that,” Dr. DeFreitas said. “What that means is we really can’t raise benefits until we repay that $6.2 billion or raise taxes.”

Connect with:

Gregory DeFreitas

Professor of Economics, Director of the Center for the Study of Labor and Democracy

Prof. DeFreitas is an expert on labor studies.

Labor EconomicsResearch MethodsUrban EconomicsMicroeconomicsAfrican Economic Development

Find Experts

Oct 22, 2026

1 min

Credibility a Must for White House Press Secretary Role

Mark Lukasiewicz, dean of The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication, talked to Newsday about Katie Zacharia’s five-day tenure as White House press secretary. He explained that the person in that challenging role needs to have a high level of credibility with the press. “It is a tough job, but successful press secretaries – and there have been several in the two Trump administrations – I think take a different approach, which is not the kind of bumbling approach that this press secretary took,” Lukasiewicz said. “You have to have a very deep command of the facts and policies of the president … so we’ll see who’s next in line.”

Oct 15, 2026

1 min

People Likely to Turn to Influencers for Fitness and Nutrition Information

Martine Hackett, associate professor and chair of population health, spoke with Newsday about health and wellness advice disseminated by social media influencers. People looking to make a lifestyle change are likely to look at posts by influencers. Dr. Martine Hackett, chair of the population health department at Hofstra University, said posts from these influencers can be helpful to people looking for detailed wellness information that they might not be able to get at a routine office visit with their doctor. “You can go for your annual health checkup, but if you are younger and don’t have a chronic disease, you might be told to exercise, but they don’t have the time to tell you how,” she said. “And you may not be able to go to a nutritionist or a trainer.”

Oct 7, 2026

1 min

Auction of LI’s Oheka Castle Draws Bidders with Big Dreams

Lawrence Levy, associate vice president and executive dean of Hofstra University’s National Center for Suburban Studies, spoke to Newsday about the auction of Long Island’s Oheka Castle, which will take place later this month in Manhattan. The property has been called “a real-life Gatsby estate” and “one of the rarest trophy properties in the country.” Buyers could include hedge funds interested in developing condos, a boutique hotel chain or a catering company. “It would be broadly appealing once the economic backdrop improves in terms of being able to borrow to finance construction and purchasing,” Levy said.