The U.S. Unemployment System Is Broken But Fixable Jan 26 2021, 2:05 AM January 25 2021, 7:00 PM January 26 2021, 2:05 AM (Bloomberg Opinion) -- Now that Congress is on the cusp of boosting direct payments to $2,000  for  all but high-income Americans to help them through the pandemic, lawmakers should focus on shoring up and fixing the system of unemployment insurance. (Bloomberg Opinion) -- Now that Congress is on the cusp of boosting direct payments to $2,000  for  all but high-income Americans to help them through the pandemic, lawmakers should focus on shoring up and fixing the system of unemployment insurance. The goal of unemployment insurance, which was created in 1935 along with Social Security and other safety net programs, was to provide âsecurity against the hazards and vicissitudes of life,â according to then-President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. But current jobless benefitsâeven with extra weeks of benefits and expanded eligibility in the $2 trillion Cares Actâ do not reach all of those that need it the most.