According to the NGA, in the last month, 36 states experienced an increase in the unemployment rate.

The National Governors Association (NGA) sent a letter to the Hill Thursday "expressing their support for an extension of unemployment benefits and to request federal assistance for states to serve a growing number of jobless individuals."

The letter, signed by Rhode Island Gov. Donald L. Carcieri and Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry, also states that "governors believe it is prudent and appropriate for Congress and the Administration to enact a temporary federally funded extension" and provide sufficient funding to assist jobless individuals during the economic slowdown.

According to the NGA, 36 states experienced an increase in the unemployment rate in the last month. The national unemployment rate increased to 5.1 percent in March 2008. Most notable, however, is the significant number of individuals that are unemployed for 27 weeks or longer, thus exhausting all unemployment benefits. Today, approximately 16.7 percent of jobless individuals are experiencing long-term unemployment compared to approximately 11 percent at the beginning of the last recession.

Beginning in 1935, a federal-state partnership was formed to create an unemployment program that would provide a core stabilizing function during economic downturns through short-term income support for jobless individuals. In prior recessions including the economic downturn that began in 2001, Congress and the Administration utilized the program to extend unemployment benefits to jobless individuals.

The NGA said that any proposal to extend unemployment benefits must also address the reality that states need additional resources to administer unemployment claims for a larger number of individuals for a longer period of time.