Dear Editor,

With nearly 20 percent of all state workers unemployed, why did the Department of Labor (DOL) outsource 2,000 data entry jobs to firms in the South and Southwest who pay $9 an hour, compared to N.Y. State's $15 minimum wage?

Those workers were hired to process two-million unemployment compensation claims filed by New Yorkers. Why couldn't the DOL find enough qualified data-entry specialists among New York's 19 million residents?

Sincerely,

Richard Reif

Flushing