Francis Perkins

     Francis Perkins was born in 1880. She was an American sociologist and workers-rights advocate who served as the U.S. Secretary of Labor from 1933 to 1945, the longest serving in that position, and the first woman appointed to the U.S. Cabinet.

     It goes to show people can do some of their life's best work in the 50s and 60s. Also give her credit for accomplishments in a male-only cabinet. She undoubtably was very persuasive in her arguments and knew how to handle constant interruptions from her colleagues.

     Funny coincidence that CNN had an article about Francis Perkins today, a day after her birthday:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/10/business/unemployment-benefits-frances-perkins/index.html

Perkins' legacy includes Social Security to support workers with disabilities and in old age, the 40-hour work week, the minimum wage and the end of child labor. And if that wasn't enough, she also built the nation's unemployment benefits system.

That system is currently pumping billions of dollars into workers' pockets, so they can continue to pay their bills and feed their families during the coronavirus pandemic.

"She was a moving force. Without her, Social Security doesn't exist, and without her, the nationwide unemployment insurance program doesn't exist," said Kirstin Downey, who spent a decade studying Perkins' life and documented it in the book "The Woman Behind the New Deal." "There's a whole lot of people whose financial salvation is going to come because Frances Perkins existed."

In the last three weeks, 16.8 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits, as businesses have closed in an attempt to slow the spread of coronavirus. Economists estimate job losses will continue over the next couple months, possibly leading to levels of unemployment not seen since the 1930s.

To aid workers during this time, Congress and the Federal Reserve have created trillions of dollars in stimulus programs, which include small business loans, paid sick leave and checks to households.

The quickest financial aid, however, will come in the form of unemployment benefits, which Congress has expanded to include an extra $600 a week for up to four months, in addition to their state benefits.

Perkins created the national unemployment insurance system in 1935 as part of the Social Security Act. The unemployment rate, at that point, was estimated to have remained above 20% for four years in a row, and few workers had other means for recouping their lost wages. At that point, the workforce was predominantly male, and when breadwinning men lost their jobs, entire families often went hungry.