70,000 North Carolinians to lose federal unemployment benefits in June

The Charlotte Observer ^ | May. 31, 2013 | Ely Portillo

[mdittmar]

Unemployment insurance payments to more than 70,000 North Carolinians are set to run out in four weeks, one result of an overhaul in North Carolina’s unemployment system that takes effect on June 30.

Those affected include anyone receiving federal extended unemployment payments, or most people who started drawing benefits before January 1. The N.C. Employment Security Commission has begun notifying people through its website and over the phone when they file required weekly claims.

The state legislature’s unemployment system overhaul, which both raised taxes on employers and cut the length and amount of benefits, makes the state ineligible to receive federal unemployment funds intended for those unemployed longer than 26 weeks. Federal law cuts off aid to states that don’t maintain their current benefit system.

The U.S. Department of Labor estimates 170,000 people in North Carolina could ultimately lose extended federal benefits for which they otherwise would have qualified.

[Kozak]

Maybe they will move back to NY, Nj, Pn, and Oh.....

[glorgau]

Now they’ll have to go on disability.

[BobL]

For some people reading the comments, unemployment benefits work somewhat like this:

You get something like $10 per hour ($400 per week) in the benefits. If a job comes along for $8 per hour, there is NO WAY you would take it, as it means an effective pay cut of $2 per hour. If another job comes along for $12 per hour, you probably still don’t take it, because your effective pay rate is really only $2 per hour (compared to sitting home and watching TV). Meanwhile those two jobs often wind up going to Illegals, because no American will take them.

That’s how it works in the REAL WORLD, as opposed to the idyllic Social Democrat world.