While I was on unemployment, most of the time I was working a part time job, trying to get a promotion to full time. My wages cut my unemployment benefits in half, but I continued to work, trying to get full time. Between my part time job and unemployment, I was able to keep paying bills. My unemployment ran out in August. Since then, my house is going into foreclosure, and I've lost all my utilities (including heat & hot water & stove) except electricity, and that is way overdue.
Reality check. I don't like unemployment or any other gov programs. I am a Republican, and I know that deficit is hurting the country. BUT, it is cheaper to keep families in their homes than for them to lose everything and be totally on some gov benefits. Foreclosures keep property values down. State govs paying out thousands of $$$ per family for support is simply a transfer of responsibility from the fed to the state. Yes, let's get the deficit under control. Yes, let's not enable folks who take advantage of unemployment. Theory is nice, but try explaining to your kids why you have no heat, why you are losing your home, why you have no hot water. Let's get politicians in office that will actually do something to create jobs, not throw money around that benefit very, very few.
Jobseeker - 14 years ago
Let me first begin by saying that I am tired of the government and so called "leaders" determining what my life should be for me, especially when I used to be in the highest tax bracket just less than two years ago. I have a Master's degree from one of the most prestigious schools in the country and have been told outright that I am overqualified and "cannot be considered." This in itself is a joke. Why call me in the first place for a phone interview if you already have made this assumption? I think companies are playing games with people's lives and it's wrong. The few interviews that I have gone on were months ago, and I still cannot get anyone to at least give me an update. It used to be that you were expected to follow up with Human Resources; now it seems as if they get angry because you call them, even if it's only once. I used to be shocked by this, but by now, I just accept it. Don't call them, they'll call you. Maybe.
The unemployment extensions are necessary for those who have documented a solid work history.
Mark - 14 years ago
At a job interview at UPS, my brother met a couple of other applicants who have been on unemployment for over a year and they turned down other IT job offers because the pay was less than their unemployment benefits. Constantly extending unemployment benefits enables individuals to "Cherry Pick" a job. It's extending the cycle of High Unemployment - Low Wages - Disappearing Benefits - Increased taxes - Income reduction - Reduced spending - Diminished corporate revenues - More layoffs - High Unemployment...
If the benefits are allowed to end in thier normal timeframe these individuals may have to settle for a lower paying job but that would result in Lowering the unemployment numbers - Lowering tax burden - Maintaining current tax rates - Increasing spending - Improving consumer confidence - Increasing revenues - Increasing investment - Increasing hiring - Raising pay and benefits - etc.
The Obama policy of tax payer subsidies doesn't seem to be helping, it's time to try something different!
Marie - 14 years ago
I have been unemployed since August 08, I have been searching for jobs relentlessly since then and have only had 3 interviews. Even for jobs I should be a shoe-in for with my experience, I either need a $15k pay cut from my last position to even be considered and even then, they are concerned that I won't be content or stay long. There are many positions but there are so many applicants for each job, that those fully qualified are overlooked because their experience worries employers that they will jump ship when the economy turns around.
The unepmloyment payments just keep us from starving. We have cut our expenses to the bare minimum and are still struggling to stay afloat. The only things left to give up are our car and internet, then my chance for finding jobs will be even smaller. I need to keep my car for interviews and job search events. Also, the internet keeps me connected to job fairs and jobs openings. I can't understand why the lawmakers pick out those few that use the system to be lazy to penalize those multitudes of us who are diligently searching and really want to work. Cheers for those fighting to keep us afloat. I know that myself and those like me are greatly appreciative and will be giving back to the community when we are back on our feet.
Ryan - 14 years ago
The system is definitely broken. The extension of benefits is great for the select bunch that really needs it to survive and is working their tail off to find work. There are a great number of people who are undeserving and collecting benefits and a great number of people deserving who are ineligible to collect.
I have many friends who have been "laid off" and have been getting their $660 biweekly for a long time. They are making no effort to find work. They purposely have posted as lousy of a resume as they can get away with on the state site. Meanwhile there are people like me who are ineligible. I have three degrees and would kill for a job. I just got laid off after only 16 weeks and was denied benefits. I will appeal, but the law is the law. There needs to be reform so that there are substantial hurdles to receiving long term benefits. For a single person with no education, the payments are too high. $330 a week may seem low, but it's plenty to make a person happy when they are living at home and have minimal expenses and don't have to get up for work everyday.
Mary - 14 years ago
I had my last unemployment check in March, but I continue to look for work even though I have only received two interviews since Oct 2007. I will take any job offered, I have applied at all the temporary agencies in my area and still nothing. If not for my children, I would be another statistic on the street. I am 53, and no one will hire me. The majority of people that have exhausted their benefits are my age. We're told we are over qualified and they feel if they hired us we would seek other employment when things get better. We want to work, but if there are no jobs.
Congress is comfortable with their jobs so they really don't care about others at the moment only the statics on paper but not in the real world...There are no jobs out there. It is said every day that firms are not hiring so how can be jobs....You can't have made e.g. $50,000 in your old job and then take a $20,000 job a year....how to provide for a family with that amount...true it is better than nothing.....but if people don't have the daily necessarities they will go to food stamps and the "free system of USA." and then government wonders why they are broke....Our system is unbelievable. J
I live in Nevada where our unemployment is over 14%, don't they understand there are no jobs ?
I can't even get a job at Wal Mart let alone Wendys etc.
We the ( 99ers ) need HELP.
How many deaths,( murder/suicides ) befor the GOP see we are desperate and need immediate HELP.
While I was on unemployment, most of the time I was working a part time job, trying to get a promotion to full time. My wages cut my unemployment benefits in half, but I continued to work, trying to get full time. Between my part time job and unemployment, I was able to keep paying bills. My unemployment ran out in August. Since then, my house is going into foreclosure, and I've lost all my utilities (including heat & hot water & stove) except electricity, and that is way overdue.
Reality check. I don't like unemployment or any other gov programs. I am a Republican, and I know that deficit is hurting the country. BUT, it is cheaper to keep families in their homes than for them to lose everything and be totally on some gov benefits. Foreclosures keep property values down. State govs paying out thousands of $$$ per family for support is simply a transfer of responsibility from the fed to the state. Yes, let's get the deficit under control. Yes, let's not enable folks who take advantage of unemployment. Theory is nice, but try explaining to your kids why you have no heat, why you are losing your home, why you have no hot water. Let's get politicians in office that will actually do something to create jobs, not throw money around that benefit very, very few.
Let me first begin by saying that I am tired of the government and so called "leaders" determining what my life should be for me, especially when I used to be in the highest tax bracket just less than two years ago. I have a Master's degree from one of the most prestigious schools in the country and have been told outright that I am overqualified and "cannot be considered." This in itself is a joke. Why call me in the first place for a phone interview if you already have made this assumption? I think companies are playing games with people's lives and it's wrong. The few interviews that I have gone on were months ago, and I still cannot get anyone to at least give me an update. It used to be that you were expected to follow up with Human Resources; now it seems as if they get angry because you call them, even if it's only once. I used to be shocked by this, but by now, I just accept it. Don't call them, they'll call you. Maybe.
The unemployment extensions are necessary for those who have documented a solid work history.
At a job interview at UPS, my brother met a couple of other applicants who have been on unemployment for over a year and they turned down other IT job offers because the pay was less than their unemployment benefits. Constantly extending unemployment benefits enables individuals to "Cherry Pick" a job. It's extending the cycle of High Unemployment - Low Wages - Disappearing Benefits - Increased taxes - Income reduction - Reduced spending - Diminished corporate revenues - More layoffs - High Unemployment...
If the benefits are allowed to end in thier normal timeframe these individuals may have to settle for a lower paying job but that would result in Lowering the unemployment numbers - Lowering tax burden - Maintaining current tax rates - Increasing spending - Improving consumer confidence - Increasing revenues - Increasing investment - Increasing hiring - Raising pay and benefits - etc.
The Obama policy of tax payer subsidies doesn't seem to be helping, it's time to try something different!
I have been unemployed since August 08, I have been searching for jobs relentlessly since then and have only had 3 interviews. Even for jobs I should be a shoe-in for with my experience, I either need a $15k pay cut from my last position to even be considered and even then, they are concerned that I won't be content or stay long. There are many positions but there are so many applicants for each job, that those fully qualified are overlooked because their experience worries employers that they will jump ship when the economy turns around.
The unepmloyment payments just keep us from starving. We have cut our expenses to the bare minimum and are still struggling to stay afloat. The only things left to give up are our car and internet, then my chance for finding jobs will be even smaller. I need to keep my car for interviews and job search events. Also, the internet keeps me connected to job fairs and jobs openings. I can't understand why the lawmakers pick out those few that use the system to be lazy to penalize those multitudes of us who are diligently searching and really want to work. Cheers for those fighting to keep us afloat. I know that myself and those like me are greatly appreciative and will be giving back to the community when we are back on our feet.
The system is definitely broken. The extension of benefits is great for the select bunch that really needs it to survive and is working their tail off to find work. There are a great number of people who are undeserving and collecting benefits and a great number of people deserving who are ineligible to collect.
I have many friends who have been "laid off" and have been getting their $660 biweekly for a long time. They are making no effort to find work. They purposely have posted as lousy of a resume as they can get away with on the state site. Meanwhile there are people like me who are ineligible. I have three degrees and would kill for a job. I just got laid off after only 16 weeks and was denied benefits. I will appeal, but the law is the law. There needs to be reform so that there are substantial hurdles to receiving long term benefits. For a single person with no education, the payments are too high. $330 a week may seem low, but it's plenty to make a person happy when they are living at home and have minimal expenses and don't have to get up for work everyday.
I had my last unemployment check in March, but I continue to look for work even though I have only received two interviews since Oct 2007. I will take any job offered, I have applied at all the temporary agencies in my area and still nothing. If not for my children, I would be another statistic on the street. I am 53, and no one will hire me. The majority of people that have exhausted their benefits are my age. We're told we are over qualified and they feel if they hired us we would seek other employment when things get better. We want to work, but if there are no jobs.
Congress is comfortable with their jobs so they really don't care about others at the moment only the statics on paper but not in the real world...There are no jobs out there. It is said every day that firms are not hiring so how can be jobs....You can't have made e.g. $50,000 in your old job and then take a $20,000 job a year....how to provide for a family with that amount...true it is better than nothing.....but if people don't have the daily necessarities they will go to food stamps and the "free system of USA." and then government wonders why they are broke....Our system is unbelievable. J
I live in Nevada where our unemployment is over 14%, don't they understand there are no jobs ?
I can't even get a job at Wal Mart let alone Wendys etc.
We the ( 99ers ) need HELP.
How many deaths,( murder/suicides ) befor the GOP see we are desperate and need immediate HELP.