During the pandemic, unemployment agencies were overwhelmed, and billions of dollars were lost to fraud. Now, in the aftermath, state unemployment agencies are heightening security. At the same time, some are wary of over-correcting and adding additional barriers to a program that is already difficult for workers to access. (Out of 100 unemployed workers, a rough estimate is that only 50 might be eligible, and only 20 will file and successfully receive benefits. In the end, some of the 20 might conclude that it was not worth the hassle.) 

Any additional layer of security—such as a third-party app that requires image uploads and selfies to verify identity—inevitably adds to the learning and compliance costs for users. There may be specific biases that create extra costs for underserved groups. But even if the costs are the same, disadvantaged groups might feel the same costs more acutely.

Even when poor user experience presents equally for everyone, the outcomes are rarely equitable. For example, instructions full of dense text and legalese might be especially hard for individuals with limited English proficiency, lower educational attainment, or those who are simply living in poverty and overloaded with stress. 

If poor user experience exacerbates inequity, then the opposite is also true: improving UX will improve equity. To identify the priority pain points, we interviewed state agency staff, labor secretaries, legal aid attorneys, disability rights advocates, immigrant and refugee advocates, union leaders, and workers.