I recently wrote a paper for the National Center for Policy Analysis. The summary:
More than 75 years since the system was created, unemployment insurance is still a contentious issue. Whether the problem is a lack of available work or the resistance of the unemployed to seek new work, the unemployment system itself seems to be failing to do its job. However, we could speed the re-employment of the unemployed by using staffing agencies to match people with available positions.
To see the paper, go to Using Staffing Companies to Reduce Unemployment.