Federal Watchdog: Unemployment Programs Wasted Billions

A man completes a job application before interviewing during a Zislis Group job fair at The Brew Hall in Torrance, Calif., on June 23, 2021. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

A federal watchdog says billions of taxpayer dollars have been wasted through unemployment programs in the past year, and that number is likely to rise.

The Government Accountability Office released a report examining unemployment benefits during the COVID pandemic that found states and territories had overpaid by $12.9 billion between March 2020 and April 2021.