U.S. Unemployment Rescue Left at Least 9 Million Without Help

Red tape, fraud-prevention efforts, and overwhelmed agencies left many Americans without benefits

Barb Ashbrook, with Jennifer Terry in the background. Photo: John-David Richardson for Bloomberg Businessweek

By Shawn Donnan and Reade Pickert

Barb Ashbrook, who lost her part-time job at a food court in downtown Indianapolis in March 2020, was denied unemployment benefits because…