Report says 230,000 unemployed losing benefits over weekend

The Hill ^ | 5/13/12 | Vicki Needham

[Libloather]

Good times.

[Happy Rain]

I wonder how many of them are spoiled “I would rather be a bum than flip burgers?”

[Craftmore]

In other news,Obama says more than 230,000 people are no longer unemployed claiming his efforts are working,,,,,

[ClearCase_guy]

Has the unemployment rate moved down into the 7’s yet? [/s]

[Fresh Wind]

The disability lawyers will have a lot of new business.

[pieceofthepuzzle]

“In other news,Obama says more than 230,000 people are no longer unemployed claiming his efforts are working,,,,,”

Exactly. This is precisely how they are going to try to spin it. In addition, I believe they will try to use the potential loss of medical insurance during unemployment as a way to try increasing support for their horrific health care plan.

[Venturer]

If they lose their unemployment doesn’t that mean they stop counting as unemployed? Obama will say that’s good.Unemployment figures go down.

[tsowellfan]

I wonder how many of them are spoiled “I would rather be a bum than flip burgers?”

Unemployment is only temporary. Never was a program you could use forever. Don't confuse it with SSI and Welfare. If you didn't work you cannot get unemployment.

There are no jobs in this Obama economy no matter how much you try to sugar coat it. We're in uncharted territory.

250,000 losing benefits means (in the government books) 250,000 "newly employed"

Look for the unemployment rate to go down soon :)

[tsowellfan]

If they lose their unemployment doesn’t that mean they stop counting as unemployed? Obama will say that’s good.Unemployment figures go down.

Bingo!

[GizzyGirl]

True story... and I'm sure it's one of millions. Friend spent 95 weeks “trying” to find a job (minimal effort given). By miracle of miracle, finds one in the 100th week. I could not be happier for my friend, but had her 99 weeks run out earlier, she would have landed on her feet a lot sooner. She will be voting for Obama...

[prisoner6]

Bush’s fault....

[old and tired]

I wonder how many of them are spoiled “I would rather be a bum than flip burgers?”

I suspect a fair number of them are two parent families who've realized they can get by on a lot less now that they're not paying for daycare. The income they've been getting from unemployment will either just go away or will be replaced by a part time job. Not saying what they've been doing is honorable, but I can understand how stressed out dual income parents can come to this decision in the best interest of their children who may well be too young or ill informed to realize what their parents are doing.

[cuban leaf]

If we abolish unemployment benefits, the unemployment rate will be zero, right?

That’s GOOD. It’s as good as the old Soviet Union.

[cuban leaf]

I was joking with someone a couple weeks ago that I’m almost to the point where if my contract ends I could collect unemployment until social security kicks in. ;-)

Not that I would consider that a good way to live...

[bandleader]

You arte ABSOLUTELY right!A lot of these people have”learned”to live on un-employment “benefits”They have NO desire to work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[CMailBag]

Seems to me that anything over a year should be referred to as what it really is, WELFARE..........

[upchuck]

And the lawyers many of those 230,000 will use to get on a lifetime supply of SSI money are laughing all the way to the bank.

Of note from the article:

Since August, the national unemployment rate has dropped to 8.1 percent from 9.1 percent, but most of that improvement is because discouraged workers have stopped looking for jobs.

Add in these 230K and the "unemployment rate" will likely drop below 8%. As I recall the actual rate is somewhere around 11%.

[ItsOurTimeNow]

Exactly right...I get dozens of calls a week from people looking for work. But, they’re only interested in getting my name so they can write it down and show it to the UI office so they can keep their benefits rolling. Whenever I actually start to go into what our open positions are, and how they can apply, they end the call quickly.

In our state, they have to report in to a UI caseworker once every 6 weeks and show two company names & numbers that they’ve called looking for work. That’s the only actual work they have to do to collect over $400 a week in ‘free’ money.

[khelus]

There are two sources of information published by the BLS on employment. Figuring out what bits of information goes where can be confusing. The way the media reports on unemployment does not help.

I. Household Survey Data

The unemployment rate is based upon a survey of 60,000 households, not the number of people collecting unemployment.

Many recognize the Household Survey Data are more accurate representation of employment/unemployment than the Payroll Survey, but you have to look past the seasonally adjusted U-3 number to tease out information.

The main sources of 'enhancing' the unemployment rate are moving people out of the civilian work force, and seasonal adjustments. Currently there are 6,366,000 people who are not counted in the civilian labor force, but want a job.

II. Establishment Survey Data / Payroll Data

OTH, the number of jobs created is based upon a survey of employers. The payroll numbers are revised for at least two month after they are published.

The number collecting unemployment is used for the annual benchmark revision of numbers in the payroll survey.

The main sources of 'enhancing' the number of jobs created is the black box through which raw numbers are processed. The black box consists of the birth and death model and seasonal adjustment.

The payroll survey counts the number of jobs, part time and full time, not the number of people working.

[xrmusn]

But, they’re only interested in getting my name so they can write it down and show it to the UI
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
I remember the ones that would show up at my Asphalt Plant around 11AM ‘looking for work’.
I would just look at them, notice the lack of work clothes, etc and tell them to ‘Catch the next truck and tell the foreman on the job I sent you’.
Inevitably the answer would be “Oh, I have to ___________ today, I will be here in the morning - Oh, would you mind signing this”?
My response would be “No, I offered you a job, and if you have something to do today, be here in the morning etc”.

Needless to say, I could count the number of takers over a long period on one hand.

My general rule of thumb was/is “If you show up, looking for a job, at 6 AM and you have your lunch with you, I will hire you whether I need you or not”.....
Running an asphalt plant with a bunch trucks and 10 or 11 crews you could find someplace for a person that WANTED a job.