1.3 Million Americans To Lose Unemployment Benefits on Saturday

[sayso]

lol looks like no more gains for your unemployed brahs you better get your ass to home depot and wait for jobs like the illegal mexican immigrants

http://www.washingtonpost.com/busine...fd2_story.html

Kathy Biscotti cut back to two meals a day after losing her job over the summer. On Saturday, she must swallow an even more bitter pill: the end of her federal unemployment benefits.

An estimated 1.3 million long-term unemployed workers like Biscotti are expected to be affected when the program expires. The extended benefits, staunchly opposed by Republicans, were left out of the bipartisan federal budget agreement reached this month. Senate Democrats have vowed to make the issue a top priority when they return to Washington in January, but Biscotti says she can’t wait that long.

“I could be out on the street by then,” said the 51-year-old Baltimore resident, who lost her job as an office assistant at a real estate company in June. “I have no control over this. It’s all up to Congress.”

The emergency unemployment benefits have been a staple of Washington’s efforts to cushion Main Street from the blows of the recession for the past five years. Lawmakers have extended the program 11 times, never allowing it to lapse — until now.

Support for the benefits waned as the recovery strengthened and hiring picked up. During negotiations over the federal budget, Democrats agreed to cut the program in hopes of averting the political gridlock that led to the government shutdown in the fall. The Senate is expected to vote on a bill next month that would reinstate the benefits for three months, but recipients face, at best, a delay in their checks.

The emergency unemployment benefits were instituted by President George W. Bush in 2008 as the financial crisis ramped up and the jobless rate started up toward the 10 percent peak it would hit the following year. Typically, states provide insurance payments to unemployed workers for up to six months. But as the nation spiraled into recession, and then the recovery struggled to gain traction, the federal government offered repeated extensions, each lasting a period of several months, allowing some people to stay on for 99 weeks. The program has paid out $225 billion in benefits.

The ranks of the long-term unemployed peaked at more than 6.7 million in the spring of 2010, according to government data. The number has since declined to about 4 million, but they still account for more than a third of those who are out of work.

It takes the average job hunter almost eight months to get hired, data show, compared to less than five months before the recession.

Ending the benefits could encourage some workers to take part-time work or lower-paying jobs than they would have otherwise, economists say. But many are expected to give up looking for work altogether. Some may even apply for disability benefits instead.

“This will likely lead to an artificial decline in the overall unemployment rate,” said Scott Anderson, chief economist at Bank of the West. “It would be giving a little bit of a false signal of the labor market improving.”

Analysts say the decline in the unemployment rate could range from a quarter to a half a percentage point.

Cutting the benefits is also likely to slow economic growth next year, Anderson said. The reduced consumer spending will shave two-tenths to four-tenths of a percentage point from the nation’s gross domestic output — effectively negating the boost from the budget deal, he said.

Still, most economists are calling for stronger growth in 2014, making the benefits program an increasingly tough sell on Capitol Hill. Businesses have created nearly 200,000 jobs during the past four months despite the federal government shutdown and uncertainty emanating from Washington. The economy grew faster than expected during the third quarter, and forecasts for the final months of the year have brightened.

Some economists say that ending the benefits could encourage companies to hire more people because employers would be under less pressure to offer higher wages. But others say the benefits are too small to deter workers from taking a job — and too critical to eliminate.

“Even though those benefits are modest, it’s what puts food on the table and pays the heating bills,” said Christine Owens, executive director of the National Employment Law Project. “A lot of people are living on the edge.”

Biscotti receives $332 a week in unemployment insurance — about half of what she was bringing home from her last job. Most of the money goes toward renting the small apartment in Baltimore that she shares with her adult son. Whatever is left is carefully divided between utilities and groceries.

“I just feel like they pulled the rug out from all the unemployed Americans. They need to give us a warning period,” she said.

Biscotti said she spends up to five hours a day on her job hunt, applying for about 30 jobs a week and frequenting career centers and workshops. She estimates she has gone on 20 job interviews since June, but nothing has panned out.

She was hoping to find something that paid at least $9 an hour. But now, facing the end of her benefits, she said she will do anything.

“I’m trying to find a job that will pay my bills. I’m looking for anything that I’m remotely qualified for,” she said. “There’s just nothing out there.”

For most of her life, Biscotti was a waitress. But in 2004, in the middle of the housing boom, she took her first desk job, as an office assistant at Morgan Stanley. She got laid off when the recession hit, and it took two years for her to find her job at the real estate company. Now, she is back at square one.

Her travails underscore the central concern economists have over the lingering number of long-term unemployed: The longer workers have been out of a job, the harder it is for them to get hired. According to a report by the White House, those who have been unemployed for five weeks or less have a 1-in-3 chance of finding a job in a given month. The odds are only 1 in 10 for those who have been unemploy­ed for more than a year.

Academics cite several reasons, including the erosion of skills and professional networks and bias on the part of employers. The result, they worry, is a class of workers that gets left farther and farther behind.

Biscotti said she wants to prove them wrong — but time is no longer on her side.

“The hardest job I’ve ever had,” she said, “is looking for a job.”

[KTTY]

cliffs:

exponential rise in crime rates

[ghettocandyman]

cliffs:

exponential rise in crime rates

In to rob and steal

[tmertz]

McDonalds is always hiring and a lot of places are.

[BuschBacon]

didnt read


but it wont last for long......they will pass something to extend it

they always do

[primetime32]

I am sure some of these people relied too heavily on unemployment and did not work hard enough to find a job. I also know that some tried to get jobs but simply were unable to, but there is no guaranty that EVERYONE be employed. Especially when some of the unemployed refuse to settle for crappy jobs.

[Anthony.b]

"It's all up to Congress"

LOL, lady. Get out there and get a job. I'm sure they need people to flip burgers.

[dick1010]

51 years old... I have no control over this from June. What a phucking joke.. WTB colonial times where you work or starve. Beta *******s going off our taxes and shiz. But they will extend after they cry moar
"
“I could be out on the street by then,” said the 51-year-old Baltimore resident, who lost her job as an office assistant at a real estate company in June. “I have no control over this. It’s all up to Congress.”

[primetime32]

Good, unemployment benefits/food stamps/welfare is what ruins countries. Why should I be busting my ass and nuts working when some lazy slob gets chit free?

You shouldn't lump in unemployment benefits with the food stamps and welfare. Unemployment is meant to be a stop gap for people who get fired from their jobs and need some time to find a new job. Anyone can lose a job and be out of work for a couple of months. The problem most have was that we kept extending those benefits for WAY too long.

I agree on welfare and food stamps. People learn to live off that crap and never even try to find work.

[Beauuu]

Baltimore.....lol.....baltimore




the next Detroit

[Dave P]

I have never understood how someone could stay on unemployment for so long that their entire life depends on an unemployment check.


You would see me working minumum wage picking strawberries in the field before I just let my family go homeless because I just sat on my ass collecting checks.

[jganer]

McDonalds is always hiring and a lot of places are.

It is, but they probably get like a hundred applications a day. Working at Mcdonalds is very competitive srs.

[ironicinori]

These are long term benefits, as in well over a year unemployed, if I'm not mistaken. And if you can't find something to do in a year, then chances are you are a lazy ******* who doesn't deserve unemployment.

[Nobleneckbeard]

Just ****ing lol at "I have no control over this. It's all up to Congress."

[neuron]

“I just feel like they pulled the rug out from all the unemployed Americans. They need to give us a warning period,” she said.

She wants a "warning period."

Based on her story, it doesn't look like a "warning period" would have helped since she's been so unsuccessful looking for a job thus far.

Unless of course, she did not intend on looking for a job and was planning on the government giving her money indefinitely.

[peniswenis]

I have never understood how someone could stay on unemployment for so long that their entire life depends on an unemployment check.


You would see me working minumum wage picking strawberries in the field before I just let my family go homeless because I just sat on my ass collecting checks.

Everyone says that when it's hypothetical.

[freshspam1]

get ready to rage with the force of a thousand suns

Calls in with obama phone, chooses not to work cause she makes more money from welfare, smokes pot all day, $550 in free rent, $500 in free food, free electricity, free water, etc. etc. etc.

F U Obama

[straightflexing]

I just got my unemployment debit card 2 days ago, I get $75 a week, yay....

[peniswenis]

lol at people who think milking the welfare system is one of our biggest problems.

We have crumbling infrastructure, roads are a disaster, bridges collapse daily in the US, all while I pay 45% in taxes because we spend over 80% of our money on military industrial complex and the drug war.

Welfare abuse makes me wanna kill a puppy but if you are capable of a Google search you'll see it's not one of our major problems, folks.

[iREciProcate]

“I could be out on the street by then,” said the 51-year-old Baltimore resident, who lost her job as an office assistant at a real estate company in June. “I have no control over this. It’s all up to Congress.”

[Peter Ruby]

She sounds like a lazy bitch who had no plans to get off unemployment benefits. Good riddance.

[ppself]

You shouldn't lump in unemployment benefits with the food stamps and welfare. Unemployment is meant to be a stop gap for people who get fired from their jobs and need some time to find a new job. Anyone can lose a job and be out of work for a couple of months. The problem most have was that we kept extending those benefits for WAY too long.

I agree on welfare and food stamps. People learn to live off that crap and never even try to find work.

This.

I was laid off in November from my job. Luckily i got a severance package that would last me through the holidays, since no one in my industry hires during this time. I will be getting on unemployment soon next week. Then start the long period of looking for work, again.

[neuron]

lol at people who think milking the welfare system is one of our biggest problems.

We have crumbling infrastructure, roads are a disaster, bridges collapse daily in the US, all while I pay 45% in taxes because we spend over 80% of our money on military industrial complex and the drug war.

Welfare abuse makes me wanna kill a puppy but if you are capable of a Google search you'll see it's not one of our major problems, folks.

[Darkhare]

You shouldn't lump in unemployment benefits with the food stamps and welfare. Unemployment is meant to be a stop gap for people who get fired from their jobs and need some time to find a new job. Anyone can lose a job and be out of work for a couple of months. The problem most have was that we kept extending those benefits for WAY too long.

I agree on welfare and food stamps. People learn to live off that crap and never even try to find work.

this, the whole "work or starve" thing is kinda bullchit for unemployment insurance.... we pay into UI every pay cheque, it should be there when you have hard times.

[MyronBulk]

get ready to rage with the force of a thousand suns

Calls in with obama phone, chooses not to work cause she makes more money from welfare, smokes pot all day, $550 in free rent, $500 in free food, free electricity, free water, etc. etc. etc.

F U Obama

ameribrahs are starting to feel our pain, Our government gave $5000 to new mothers, which caused teens to get pregnant for the free bonus

[MinisterOfLust]

Thanks Moses Obama.

[veikejas]

WTF brahs? we need to destroy welface. Everywhere, UK too, fuak this leeches all over the world, they are just lazy, they will work if the benefits are cut down

[cashinout]

Good, unemployment benefits/food stamps/welfare is what ruins countries. Why should I be busting my ass and nuts working when some lazy slob gets chit free?

because that lazy slob will spend that money within minutes, putting it back into the economy and in turn making it stronger and keeping your job secure

nothing is really going on except people who need help are getting help, and there are a few bad apples that abuse the system (but notice that you will only ever hear about these isolated bad apples, and not the millions of other who actually need help)

everything has a reason behind it, don't be so quick to jump to conclusions based on your emotions

and this is coming from an extremely conservative person

[C0sta]

Good, unemployment benefits/food stamps/welfare is what ruins countries. Why should I be busting my ass and nuts working when some lazy slob gets chit free?

This

I dont know about you merica brahs but in the uk some people are better off on these benefits than if they were to get a job. I know a family who pretty much 100% match the stereotype here, no intentions of working, scummy as ****, get lloads of **** they don't deserve for free. Both parents claim disability benefits too (there is nothing wrong with either of them srs) and they get a brand new free car every year, free housing and probably get about 5k-10k more than the average wage of someone who works here.

[hlimw18]

Good. Why the phuck should someone get paid to not have a job? Maybe people should try not living beyond their means and saving for if they lose their job. Instead of just spending all their money and asking for a handout when everything doesn't go as planned.