North Carolina Audits Find 22% Unemployment Payment Errors as 28% of First Checks Arrive Late
Updated
Updated · WRAL News · Jun 17
North Carolina Audits Find 22% Unemployment Payment Errors as 28% of First Checks Arrive Late
2 articles · Updated · WRAL News · Jun 17
Summary
Two follow-up audits found North Carolina’s unemployment system still misses federal benchmarks, with a 22% improper payment rate from 2021-2025 and 28% of first benefit checks arriving after the 14-day standard in 2024-2025.
The payment errors—covering fraud, overpayments and underpayments—were mostly overpayments and cost taxpayers more than $90 million above the expected 10% national error-rate threshold, the state auditor said.
The improper payment rate worsened from 18% in a 2022 audit, while late first checks improved from 40% in 2022 and 43% in 2024.
North Carolina met the national standard for on-time unemployment payments in only 3 of the past 20 years, and the Division of Employment Security said it agreed with the findings and recommendations.