The U.S. Constitution does not recognize any right to work for pay. However, by virtue of a myriad of federal and state laws, persons who work for pay but lose their employment through no fault of their own and are unable to immediately secure other employment are generally eligible for temporary monetary assistance.

“Unemployment compensation” is generally paid to eligible persons through mandatory state programs designed to protect workers from interruption of wages or income due to loss of work. Compulsory, state-imposed unemployment insurance is generally carried at the expense of employers. Unemployment insurance shifts the burden of unemployment from the taxpayer at large to industry and business. It also alleviates the burden of financing public assistance for unemployed persons.