I have a sense that these folks aren’t “deadbeats” who really had no interest in working. I believe most are well educated, skilled and formerly hard-working individuals. How are these people coping? Is there any realistic hope on the horizon?
How long should unemployment benefits be paid? Isn’t 99 weeks, almost two years, enough?
When unemployment benefits keep getting extended forever, at a certain point it stops being insurance benefits and starts being welfare. Also, unemployment benefits are obviously, at least at the margins, a disincentive to take a lower-paid, less attractive job than the one that was lost. Thus, extending unemployment benefits has to got to have at least some negative effect on the employment numbers. And I don’t recall where in the Constitution it says that it is responsibility of federal taxpayers to pay money to those across America who are out of work. If a state wants to set up and pay for unemployment benefits, then certainly they can, but I don’t see this as a federal responsibility. (Which is is not at all to say that the economy is doing well, that Zero isn’t mishandling it horribly, etc...)
I made a good living up until Jan. of this year when I was laid off - what would have been the start of my 27th year straight of employment and I’m supposedly in a “low unemployment” area - but ha! - the only reason that’s true is that this city (Madison, WI) is the seat of our dysfunctional State govt. The numbers reflect our burstin’ at the seams public sector. I’m due to end my comp soon, and taking a part time job as a fundraiser for the GOP of WI - hopefully get Feingold defeated at last. The pay is incredibly low compared to what I had been earning, but as far as employment goes - many of the very, very few private sector openings here get as many as 3-5 thousand applications for every one available. I went through this once before in the late 70’s and early 80’s when Carter donned his sweater. A serious downturn happens just about every 25-26 years without fail, but God help you when it happens with a Democrat filled Washington DC.