Over 230,000 art, entertainment, and recreation workers in California have filed for unemployment since the Coronavirus pandemic began in mid-March, according to California’s Employment Development Department. This report comes as the federally provided relief of $600 a week is set to expire, leaving many entertainment and art workers without a safety net, and unsure whether they will qualify for unemployment.
A spokesperson for the EDD said on Monday, “these benefits were authorized and paid for by the federal government and cannot be extended by the EDD without congressional action.” Unless a new relief bill is submitted and approved, after July 25th, workers in California will have to rely on the $40-$450 they receive with standard unemployment benefits, if they qualify.
RELATED:Every Game Delayed by COVID-19
Due to the unique combination of self-employment and typical W-2 jobs, many entertainment workers will not qualify for unemployment benefits, despite being out of work, a situation faced by many creatives. As noted by Jennifer Dorning, president of the AFL-CIO’s Department for Professional Employees, “Union creative professionals were among the first affected by the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic impact, and many will likely be among the last workers able to return safely to their jobs due to longer-term social distancing requirements.”
As the world grapples with a global pandemic, the entertainment industry has faced unprecedented job loss, with many companies unable to film new shows or movies, and are unable to release finished work into theaters,with delays across multiple industries. As a result, hundreds of thousands of entertainment and art workers have lost their jobs, and are struggling to deal with an unemployment system that is not equipped to handle their unique situation.
In response to this crisis, representatives Adam Schiff and Judy Chu have introduced the Mixed Earner Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Act, which seeks to ensure that those who combine traditional and independent income will have access to a full range of unemployment benefits. Meanwhile, the entertainment industry continues to work towardsfinding a safe and effective way to restart productionon a wide range of film and television projects delayed by the pandemic.
Until a more permanent solution to Coronavirus appears, entertainment workers will continue to struggle with the incredible toll the pandemic has taken on their industry. While some attempts have been made to keep production moving, more and more films continue toface delays due to Coronavirus. It seems that, for now, the industry will have to wait things out, and entertainment workers will have to rely on whatever meager assistance they can get.
