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Unemployment benefits might be extended AGAIN :(

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JEDI said:
Unemployment benefits might be extended AGAIN

your thoughts?
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It's just another factor raising the cost of labor in this country, so it will accelerate the trend of outsourcing. So smile and enjoy your couple more months of unemployment, because your job ain't coming back.
 
Some people work for decades and their employers pay into unemployment pools that is not then given as salary.

Older workers (often highly qualified) here in the "rust belt" have a hell of a time finding a job now. The feeling is either, since they are over-qualified, they wouldn't stay long and we'll have to hire someone else, or, we only want young people that we can get away with paying a small salary to.

I'm sure that virtually every dime paid out in unemployment goes right back into the local economy.

People are still being laid off around here. Hell, even the grocery stores have announced layoffs. A few years ago, "help wanted" ads might run 3 or 4 pages in the newspaper, now they sometimes don't make 2 columns. I hardly think "free money" is the reason people around here aren't working.
 
glenn1 said:
JEDI said:
http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/19/news/economy/unemployment_benefits/index.htm?source=cnn_bin&hpt=Sbin

More than 1 million people could lose their jobless benefits and health insurance subsidy in March if Congress doesn't act fast.

But Reid plans to address the jobless benefits deadlines when Congress returns next week, a Senate Democratic aide said.


6months was the norm. Bush extended unemployment benefits to 1yr. Obama added 13 weeks to that for a total of 1yr 3months.

Now some groups are lobbying for it to be extended to end of year.

WTF?! :q

Stop spending my tax $!!! End this socialist agenda!

your thoughts?
Click to expand...
It's just another factor raising the cost of labor in this country, so it will accelerate the trend of outsourcing. So smile and enjoy your couple more months of unemployment, because your job ain't coming back.
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I forgot about this point too. That won't really be realized until the taxes actually increase though.

SO then we'll blame the problem on outsourcing and tax all imports...
The real problem is overbloated gov't...if we can reduce that, then more people will be working in the private sector, which is more people to tax, more people producing means better economy and living conditions for us all....
 
JUst a little perspective- not that the usual ravers will actually read it, since it's more than a few slogans strung together-

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/21/business/economy/21unemployed.html?th&emc=th

The source of income in this country is shifting from work to investment, and consequently from the middle class to the financial elite. The vast majority of Americans don't have many investments, certainly not enough to live off of permanently, and the ongoing offshoring of jobs actually reduces employment opportunities and recirculation of money in the economy.

Just the way it is, and it's been increasing for decades. Investment in this country by capitalists is actually negative, and the effects have been masked with huge and increasing debt loads at every level, and with economic bubbles rather than real growth.

Welcome to the world economy and trickle down economics, brought to you by free trade, deregulation, and top tier taxcuts, hedge funds and private equity firms, courtesy of the right wing lootocracy.

Can't figure it out? That's because your thinking processes have been stunted, damaged by the absorption of 30 years of propaganda and an addiction to self righteous emotional outrage...
 
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I dont mind helping someone down on their luck, but we all know a good chunk of these people on unemployment for YEARS are worthless sacks of shit that should not get a dime.
 
woolfe9999 said:
Yeah, fuck all the lazy people who are unemployed in a bad economy. Let them eat cake.

- wolf
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In Tennessee, unemployment checks are $253/week. Often times people would rather sit at home and get that check rather than get an $8/hour job. You won't get rich on $8/hour but in most of Tennessee you can live on that.

If you have a family... well you likely qualify for food stamps.
 
Jhhnn said:
JUst a little perspective- not that the usual ravers will actually read it, since it's more than a few slogans strung together-

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/21/business/economy/21unemployed.html?th&emc=th

The source of income in this country is shifting from work to investment, and consequently from the middle class to the financial elite. The vast majority of Americans don't have many investments, certainly not enough to live off of permanently, and the ongoing offshoring of jobs actually reduces employment opportunities and recirculation of money in the economy.

Just the way it is, and it's been increasing for decades. Investment in this country by capitalists is actually negative, and the effects have been masked with huge and increasing debt loads at every level, and with economic bubbles rather than real growth.

Welcome to the world economy and trickle down economics, brought to you by free trade, deregulation, and top tier taxcuts, hedge funds and private equity firms, courtesy of the right wing lootocracy.

Can't figure it out? That's because your thinking processes have been stunted, damaged by the absorption of 30 years of propaganda and an addiction to emotional outrage...
Click to expand...

Funny observation...

since it's more than a few slogans strung together-
Click to expand...

and then right out of the left's playbook comes

Investment in this country by capitalists is actually negative, and the effects have been masked with huge and increasing debt loads at every level, and with economic bubbles rather than real growth.

Welcome to the world economy and trickle down economics, brought to you by free trade, deregulation, and top tier taxcuts, hedge funds and private equity firms, courtesy of the right wing lootocracy.
Click to expand...

/chuckle
 
rudder said:
In Tennessee, unemployment checks are $253/week. Often times people would rather sit at home and get that check rather than get an $8/hour job. You won't get rich on $8/hour but in most of Tennessee you can live on that.

If you have a family... well you likely qualify for food stamps.
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But it's pegged to your income. can you really get $1000/month sitting on your ass if your previous income was only $8/hour? In NY I believe it tops out at something like $340/week but that's only if you were in the top income (as far as unemployment is concerned).
 
Andrew1990 said:
If I were unemployed right now collecting $200 a week, then a job came along where I made $250 a week but had to work instead of sit on my ass, I would take it as it would be money that is EARNED.
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And you would have done something incredibly silly by doing so.

First off, unemployment isn't "free". People pay into the system to get that money back when they need it. It's your money.

Second, what kind of idiot throws away his unemployment benefits to make $50 more a week on what's very likely a dead-end job? If you had a functioning brain in your skull you'd bide your time and look to resume your career while making full use of the unemployment benefits you yourself paid for.
 
Capt Caveman said:
For most people, unemployment isn't enough to pay the mortgage, bills, etc..
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No shit, along with the stigma.

Painting everyone who is receiving benefits with the same brush is just pure ignorance.

Simple fact, it could happen to anyone so get off your fucking high horse.
 
I dont have a problem with Unemployment benefits being extended. These were producing people in our economy that lost their job. They also were paying for this insurance when they worked.
 
yllus said:
And you would have done something incredibly silly by doing so.

First off, unemployment isn't "free". People pay into the system to get that money back when they need it. It's your money.

Second, what kind of idiot throws away his unemployment benefits to make $50 more a week on what's very likely a dead-end job? If you had a functioning brain in your skull you'd bide your time and look to resume your career while making full use of the unemployment benefits you yourself paid for.
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The employers pay into it. The workforce does not pay into unemployment.

I do agree with the rest of your post though. When I collected unemployment, I wouldn't dream of working a job at mcdonalds or hardees because while I was home, looking for jobs, I was also able to watch my kids which meant no daycare costs, no fuel costs, cheaper lunches, less stress on my wife because I could pick up my kids from school and had the dishes and house cleaned daily, etc.
 
Skoorb said:
But it's pegged to your income. can you really get $1000/month sitting on your ass if your previous income was only $8/hour? In NY I believe it tops out at something like $340/week but that's only if you were in the top income (as far as unemployment is concerned).
Click to expand...

Yes, you are correct. That $253 is the max. And based on your income. I think most that sit at home rather than find work probably made enough to receive the maximum. The formula TN uses is: 1/26 of average pay of 2 High Quarters in the benefits period. I guess you would have to earn ~$7000 per quarter to get the max benefits.

I am saying though a lot of people would rather sit at home and collect that $275 (before taxes) than get a job paying $8 an hour (which would net you more that the unemployment check). I am not sure what the actual price point would be for people getting unemployment to get off their ass and at least do something... $10/hour? $12?

If those benefits stopped... they may go out and get whatever work they could find instead of living off the governments tit for two years.
 
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Skoorb said:
rudder said:
In Tennessee, unemployment checks are $253/week. Often times people would rather sit at home and get that check rather than get an $8/hour job. You won't get rich on $8/hour but in most of Tennessee you can live on that.

If you have a family... well you likely qualify for food stamps.
Click to expand...
But it's pegged to your income. can you really get $1000/month sitting on your ass if your previous income was only $8/hour? In NY I believe it tops out at something like $340/week but that's only if you were in the top income (as far as unemployment is concerned).
Click to expand...

Unemployment is usually pegged to %50 of your gross income up to the max allowed by each state.

It the example above, the $8/hr translate to $320/wk gross. Take away the Federal taxes and you end up with about $240-$260 take home.

If you were making $10/hr at a prev position; your unemployment check would only be $200 ($400/2)

In Skoobs NY example; one would have to have been earning $700/wk or more to qualify for the $340unemployment check.

For one that only has to support themselves or is being supported, living off of unemployment may be feasible. UNTIL 15 April - then they need to anti up %15 of the total paid the previous year
 
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There possibly is another good reason to do this. When People's Unemployment Insurance coverage ends and if they can't find Work, then they have to apply for Welfare/Social Assistance. That in turn, afaik, transfers responsibility from the Feds to the State. Most States are already struggling with Fiscal short falls and are being propped up by the Feds. So, the idea is, if the Feds extend UI, it relieves States from further Fiscal pressures.
 
rudder said:
Yes, you are correct. That $253 is the max. And based on your income. I think most that sit at home rather than find work probably made enough to receive the maximum. The formula TN uses is: 1/26 of average pay of 2 High Quarters in the benefits period. I guess you would have to earn ~$7000 per quarter to get the max benefits.

I am saying though a lot of people would rather sit at home and collect that $275 (before taxes) than get a job paying $8 an hour (which would net you more that the unemployment check). I am not sure what the actual price point would be for people getting unemployment to get off their ass and at least do something... $10/hour? $12?
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I think you've missed part of the equation. If $275 was the max, then the person on unemployment collecting $275/wk now could've made 30,50,100k/yr before losing their job. They probably have expenses that come along with that sort of income. Hell, even a reasonable mortgage of ~130-140k will yield a PITI close to 1k/mo (at least where I am). If you figure an 8/hr job, that's about $1280/mo gross. Even with no other expenses, it'll be very close, if they also receive food stamps and medicaid. If you have to pay for food and COBRA, you'd have to dip into savings. So then you start wiping out peoples' savings/retirement accounts and increasing the number of years they have to work, inflating the labor pool. This is a tangent though.

You can see why people aren't rushing to take 8/hr jobs. If I'm on unemployment and can't pay my bills, what good is it going to be for me to take an 8/hr job and still not be able to pay my bills? Might as well collect unemployment for as long as I can while at least trying to find something that will pay enough. And in either scenario, my savings are being depleted and eventually I will have to try to liquidate my assets or simply walk away from my debt. Society bares the cost either way.

So, in reality, when you ask how much it will take to get people off of unemployment, I will tell you it will take whatever amount is necessary to pay their bills. I'm sure there are some people out there that are just stubborn and don't want to take a hit to their quality of life (an inevitability coming to most of us), but I am sure there are a lot of people out there that have structured debt payments whose obligations simply can't be met with 8/hr, 10/hr, 12/hr jobs. And the major one, mortgage, is also the one that is the least liquid.
 
Skoorb said:
But it's pegged to your income. can you really get $1000/month sitting on your ass if your previous income was only $8/hour? In NY I believe it tops out at something like $340/week but that's only if you were in the top income (as far as unemployment is concerned).
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Yep, NY is currently max $405/wk gross. Plus an additional $25/wk supplement.

Which isn't much that money... if you had a decent paying job it's probably going to be no more than 50%. I'd much rather work for many reasons.

I'm not sure how I feel about this. Even before I was on unemployment, I wasn't really opposed to the part of the ARRA that extended UI. From what I've read, it does not cost much at all relatively and provides real help to people. Now that I'm on unemployment, sure I'd like an extension, but I hope I don't need it anyway (don't think I will).

What's stupid to me is people laid off in 2008 and early 2009 got up to 99 weeks of benefits. Workers laid off towards the second half of 2009 get only the standard 26 weeks. Yet the unemployment rate was actually higher during those times than the times where you could get 99 weeks. I'm not saying 26 weeks is too low but holy crap 99 weeks is outrageous.
 
Siddhartha said:
Me thinks that those railing against unemployment benefits in this thread are not unemployed.
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Probably but that doesn't really make their argument less meaningful 🙂

Per above, people paid into this already, but not for this long; it is quite literally a government freebie once the extensions get really crazy.

I have less of a problem with extending benefits than with government not managing money better when it's growing. It would suck big sweaty ones being out of work now looking for a job and most people accustomed to a paycheck will find the lower unemployment one helpful but mostly still sucky so they're probably motivated to find a job.

A novel (I've never heard of it) idea would be to extend these benefits but once you get past a certain period of time you're essentially taking a loan out against future employment; your wages would be garnished some humble amount to help payback what you'd done.

EDIT: I see some people have a problem with the way others refer to people as paying these instead technically the employer does. However, half a dozen of one, 6 of the other. Unemployment paid for by an employer on an employee's behalf is still money that the employer has to pay out to have that employee, so regardless of who receives it (government in this case, or in another goes to the employee who then could pay it) the end effect is the same. This is why when people say they only pay 6.2% into SS and their employer covers the other 6.2% they must realize that the net cost is still 12.4% that they as an employee are not receiving; without the SS at all they would receive that 6.2% the employer is paying, at least in theory. Similarly in theory if the employer paid nothing for their unemployment this could go into their pay check.
 
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Fear No Evil said:
This is probably true in a lot of cases. I know a lot of white collar workers who just refuse to even try to get a job because they can collect unemployment for so long. They can work, they choose not to.
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Yup, LIVIN Large on that 60% of your salary. My wife's been unemployed for over a year, gone on dozens of interviews, and hasn't had any luck. She is beyond depressed about it and would love to get off UE, but the jobs are not out there.
And I love going out for sushi on Monday, having caviar and toast tips for breakfast... while watching our 72" LCD HD tv... 🙄

For all the people who think extending ue benefits is wrong, you're all idiots. No more needs to be said.
 
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