With so many companies having learned to do with fewer workers, moved offshore or no longer exist we’re told we’re heading into a “jobless recovery.” Doesn’t that imply that for many/most of these people there won’t be jobs in the foreseeable future, if ever? Doesn’t that mean unemployment benefits will have to be extended forever?
Should it be extended, or should the already heavily indebted government not spend money this way? Not doing so, of course, would drastically increase the number of homeless since the states can’t really afford their portion now.
Back in December, the qualification dates for existing tiers of unemployment benefits were extended for an additional two months. Time is up at the end of February. Now another extension is needed or millions of workers will lose benefits over the next few months.
The National Employment Law Project (NELP) released a new report last week showing that …
1.2 million jobless workers will become ineligible for federal unemployment benefits in March unless Congress extends the unemployment safety net programs from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). By June, this number will swell to nearly 5 million unemployed workers nationally who will be left without any jobless benefits.
…
Currently, 5.6 million people are accessing one of the federal extensions (34-53 weeks of Emergency Unemployment Compensation; 13-20 weeks of Extended Benefits, a program normally funded 50 percent by the states).
The win goes to #30. Three low paying tedious etc business are hiring in my area. I know this because I know people who do work there. They are putting in double shifts and longer hours, even though they don’t want them. They took the job as a part time position. One is retired and the other two were looking for a little extra money. These places can’t find someone with a high school education willing to stock shelves, work nights evenings or weekends. The can’t find people who might be inconvenienced by being employed. My current job is to train water and wastewater treatment operators. I have at least five communities that are looking for operators, they are willing to pay a starting wage of 10.00 with benefits. They have zero applicants.
@#34
Ha! You are right!
#30 for the win … a classic!
#33 “Most of you and your partisan politics are living in jobless world you deserve because your low standards for politicians have run the country into the ground.”
If partisan is market fundamentalist Milton Friedman capitalism I’d agree with you. Every place this has been tried has seen increasing inequality and a decimated middle class.
“None of the Above” is an acceptable answer on a multiple choice test, but it’s foolishly inadequate in the real world.
After multiple people have ventured their personal stories of hardship your gleeful tone is not only inappropriate, but it reveals you as a heartless prick.
Looking at the chart lifted from Calculated Risk, all I can say is “Heck of a job, Barry.”
@36
Chris,
My “heart” or lack thereof has absolutely nothing to do with the economic situation.
And everything to do with the American adversity against hard work and the concept earning your keep in this world.
Foreign governments are not going to continue to let the USA borrow money for a lifestyle we have not EARNED.
Haiti was a natural disaster, the US economy situation is one of material inconvenience …
OMG! I might have to sell my CAR!
I might lose my house and have to live in an apartment!
OMG! I might have to get a job at Burger King!
What will the neighbors think?
My uncle?
The cat?
Oh noes!
I’m sure people in Haiti are crying for these people and their terrible plight right now …
our elected officals stood by and watched our jobs leave the country. now its their job to make sure the extended unemployment keeps comeing. no mater how long it is. OBAMA is a good man that wants to help us. I feel he has a very tough because he walked into a big mess made before he got there. some of us naver dreamed after 30 years on the same job we would end up on extended unemployment. so you politcans caused this so please do the right thing and either provide us jobs or unemployment . we would perfer jobs .
#38
“And everything to do with the American adversity against hard work and the concept earning your keep in this world.”
“OMG! I might have to sell my CAR!
I might lose my house and have to live in an apartment!
OMG! I might have to get a job at Burger King!
What will the neighbors think?
My uncle?
The cat?
Oh noes!”
I LIKE YOU SO MUCH, I could walk over to your house in BH, and PUKE on your door step..
How many hours per week do you work to PAY your bills?
I know families, with 2 parents working over 40 hours per week, EACH..for a MONTH and cant make ends meet.
NOW go find out WHO is taking care of the kids.
NOW figure the amount to TAKE CARE of those kids..
Find a job where you can LIVE NEXT DOOR, or within 1 mile..so that you can walk. FIND a grocery store EVERY 1/2 mile so you can WALK what you buy HOME.
Working BK, isnt that bad..But do YOU stand on your feet, 8-12 hours per day?? have you EVER?? STAND, not walking around…STAND..
Have you TRIED to find a home that is AFFORDABLE??
FIGURE this out OK??
$600-1200 per month to RENT..
$300-500 per month for utilities..NO CABLE TV
CHILD/DAY CARE, $300-500 per month.
FOOD for 4 people..$300-500 per month.
1200+500+500+500=$2700 per month..
Wages of 2 people, $10 per hour..800 per week times 4..$3200-25% for tax..$2400..
NO CAR, NO INSURANCE, NO CABLE TV, NO GAMES, NO NET, NO COMPUTER, NO GAS, NO PARTY, NOTHING.
The ONLY cut in COSTS you can make is the COST of your RENT and the crap HOUSE you wish to live in..This is for MOST major metro areas..WHERE MOST people live.
AND STILL, who is raising the KIDS?? WHO is responsible for THEM?? CHILD CARE?? NOT ON YOUR LIFE…
The US will not overcome the current economic crisis. The crisis was caused by big money’s influence over Washington, this will not change because those that are causing the crisis are in control. There’s only one way out, that’s through, but if we have to wait till big money loses it’s grip on our government, there probably won’t be much left. If there was anything left of the spirit of the founding fathers the people would be starting a revolution. I predict that armed resistance will begin shortly. That’s when the war on terror comes home. Fortunately most of the soldiers come from the disadvantaged part of society and aren’t likely to be repressing their own, especially after getting rid of the officer class.
OK, so I’m guessing, It’ll probably be much worse.
You just said you live in a major metro area. Well, that’s your choice.
Both parents work? That’s your choice.
Own a home? That’s your choice too.
“Working BK, isnt that bad..But do YOU stand on your feet, 8-12 hours per day?? have you EVER?? STAND, not walking around…STAND..”
Guess what? There are people that do EXACTLY that job right now.
Now maybe you are 50+ and can’t physically do it, or obese or out of shape due to a desk job but Americans are the ones that overeaten themselves into obesity and physical neglect.
So Mexicans do those jobs here.
Oh yeah, and the waiters and waitresses taking your order at restaurants stand all day long. You will notice they are not obese, by the way.
There are tax credits for child care, exemptions for dependents, the Earned Income Credit for low income families and government assistance in the form of food stamps and other things.
There are people who live within their means in this country. You might need to move somewhere with a lower cost of living, large metro areas are expensive. But that is, again, your choice.
Obama suggested a small business tax cut in his State of the Union address, which was immediately pooh-poohed by the Republicans. Small businesses and the people who own them (who generally are the ones who make $250,000+/year) were already given a tax cut by the Republicans in the midst of two wars. What did they do with those tax cuts? They closed their factories and moved the jobs to China, thereby adding to the oncoming recession caused by the big banks (who also got tax cuts and were deregulated by the Republicans) and their credit default swaps, which brought down the US economy and almost brought down the economy of the entire planet.
NO
#43
his suggested tax cut was smoke and mirrors.
He suggests a cut in capital gains tax to small business owners who…….wait for it……..don’t usually have any capital gains! less than 1% file for capital gains.
Tell people you’re proposing tax cuts but don’t explain that they don’t do anything and yet another sheeple has been hoodwinked by their dear leader
Don’t forget the tax rebate for hiring new workers. Another worthless gesture because we’re not gonna hire new people when there is NO work for them to do!
Some shocking stats indicate that it’s safer and financially more rewarding to get a government job: http://tinyurl.com/yg95gyl
It pays more on average. Worse yet, I had no idea that 52% of American union members work for the government. The government union workers are going to do to America what the auto workers union did to GM.
#46
That’s not news. Even local city and state are the same. That’s why CA sucks and that’s why I applaud Arnold for trying his best to kick these shtty aholes and hire someone with new contracts that doesn’t bleed the state to death.
It worked back then and was really nice, but I’m not the only person who thinks most do nothing and get pay well. Hell, I’ve even applied for some “technician” jobs that pay close to what I’m making now as an senior engineer but with better benefits….like guarantee employment and tons of holiday 😀 Of course I’m exaggerating a bit but you get the point.
42,
you know how to put words in others mouths..
I didnt say I live in a metro area.
I used those numbers BECAUSE that is the min you will find, in many metro areas.
And the MAIN concern is WHO takes care of the kids. And day care goes to 12 years old.
WHO is now responsible for the kids and HOW they grow up?? The parents werent there to HELP them grow.
Corps dont like to Spread out, they like the Big metro areas, so they can have more people for jobs.
Guess where most of the kids run to for JOBS. The cities.
How many families can send kids to college or training schools, WHICH cost a fortune?
HOW are these Kids going to get experience? There used to be FREE technical schools and UNION halls with training.. It used to take ALLOT of people to milk Cows, now 1-2 people can milk 100-1000 EASILY.
Over eating?? Sitting to much?? I can show a few problems with that, but I can also show you where corps would rather set up 1 store 20 miles away from EVERYONE, insted of CLOSER stores that make it viable to walk and return in less then 1 day. And you wonder why convenience stores are FATTENING..And you dont have to EAT the store.
MOST other countries dont have 1/2 the chemicals allowed in USA foods. Even tho we supply 30% of the worlds food supply, we poison ourselves on CRAP processed for the USA. Fruits and vegetables cost 2 times as much as MEAT.
You say Mex do the jobs in your area..Good thing, NOW you can be lazy.. And I didnt say waitresses/waiters..I SAID STAND. You can STAND as a Checker waiting for customers. try it. NO exercise, Little movement.
You suggest tax credits and day care to watch he kids? then WHO becomes responsible for them as they grow up. WE ALREADY have had a generation of THAT. WE now have kids as ADULTS, that dont know HOW TO RAISE KIDS.
You might as well give your kids to the Gov. and have them even WORSE OFF.
Others will point things out to you..
I will give you a head start.
IT TAKES an avg. $18 per hour 40 yours per week. For 1 person or 2 persons at $9 per hour. To LIVE in this country and pay bills. THATS on the CHEAP SIDE.
THE PROBLEM? Activity..we get very little. WHY?? we have no money/time to BE ACTIVE.
NO time to share with the kids.
NO time to go BOWLING
NO time to have a vacation
…
In the last 30 years.
Wages AT THE TOP have gone up 10 times.
Wages on the bottom, have gone up from $4 per hour to $7??
It used to take 1 person WORKING HARD, to raise a family. AND 1 person at home taking CARE of the family, washing things, Cleaning things, taking care of the kids and getting food and cooking..
1 person working NOW, cant even afford RENT at $10 per hour.
ECA,
I agree with some of what you said. Not all.
> How many families can send kids to college or
> training schools, WHICH cost a fortune?
Maybe you don’t. Maybe they have to earn their way through college, many people do it (I know … I did.)
>And the MAIN concern is WHO takes care of the >kids. And day care goes to 12 years old.
Maybe the husband and wife don’t work the same shift. Maybe one works day, the other works evenings or nights.
>And I didnt say waitresses/waiters..I SAID STAND. >You can STAND as a Checker waiting for customers. >try it. NO exercise, Little movement.
There are people doing those jobs now.
> NO time to share with the kids.
> NO time to go BOWLING
> NO time to have a vacation
Surely you mean LESS time. Possibly if you see what I wrote above, MORE time. Maybe time with the spouse is a luxury.
> in the last 30 years.
> Wages AT THE TOP have gone up 10 times.
Do you know how few people as a percentage of the population that is? Maybe 1%. Maybe half of one percent.
People can’t be worrying about what other people are doing. They need to worry about what they themselves are doing.
I never said any of this is easy. I am saying it can be done.
I know my great grandfather worked in a factory all of his life. And my grandfather worked hard 50 hours a week at a car repair shop.
The dream of the 1960s Baby Boomers and the gravy train is now a bygone era. I’ve never quite lived in that easy world.
The future is going to be kicking it up old skool and back to the basics.
All of these radical ideas are possible … I know … I am doing them now. It’s not fun, but I sure as hell enjoy my idle time and appreciate much more than I ever did in the past.
“Do you know how few people as a percentage of the population that is? Maybe 1%. Maybe half of one percent.”
Ok, you like Percentages..
Lets do a few..
In the 70’s-80’s a person making $70,000 was doing pretty good. That person NOW is making $7,000,000..
Person on the bottom, that made $3-5 is only making $7 NOW..
so, YES, that 1% on the top is ALLOT of money.
Did you know that manufacturing hasnt risen in COST for 20+ years??
Companies just FIND cheaper makers. Insted of using STEEL injectors in your car, they use PLASTIC. Insted of STEEL they use reinforced aluminum or PLASTICS..insted of metal or WOOD dashboards they make them PLASTIC.. why?
MORE PROFIT. NOT to save the BUYERS money..PROFIT. we are no longer a democratic republic. BUSINESS has taken over. and they want the CHEAPEST workers, the LOWEST cost, and the HIGHEST price.
We have gone from cars that could last 20 years, to cars that BREAK in 5-7.
I wont even Mention Tech in computers and using 30 year old designs under intel. Or MS forgetting that they DIDNT make NT, which handled Multi CPU mobo’s, they BOUGHT IT.
we could go on this forever. but the goods in the USA are worse then Many sold in other nations, ONLY because the USA CORPS want profit. devices for doing diagnostics on cars cost over $1000 in the USA, and in taiwan you can get the SAME device with ALL the extras for about $200. WE are being SCREW’d by our OWN companies and corps.
IN NO other nation do they have the TOP wages that the USA pays.
#46 & 47 It is easy to blame government workers, but a better target is the moron that decided that the US will no longer make anything and just hope things will work out(for the top 1% that is).
#49 & 50 You both have a lot of odd capitalized words and questionable sentence structure, but I think I have the message, here goes:
The US has the most comprehensively educated population in history. If that population can’t get decent jobs then something seriously wrong is afoot. Part of the problem is culturally-based laziness, but another part is the structural reality of the job market.
Robots and slave labor have been eliminating the production workforce in the first world for quite some time. Can’t we do better than bickering over the scraps?
As the world becomes more technologically advanced and integrated I can’t accept that the role of people is to be shunted into the gutters.
ECA,
Where are these USA CORPS?
Most of them are multinational corporations now, very few of them are “USA CORPS” as you put it.
An easy solution to all these problems is protectionism.
The United States abrogates NAFTA, enacts tariffs and then the United States becomes a semi-closed market like it was before the 1990s.
Companies will pay for access to a market of 300 million people and the will put the jobs here if they have to.
Instead, what we have right now is a two party system with both parties on the take from big business which business being the major source of campaign funding for all candidates.
51,
Umm,
I will tell you a little math in USA corps.
You need 1 SMART person, and 40 idiots that can follow instructions. 20 years later, the 1 person retires and 1 of the idiots takes his job.
52,
did you answer your OWN question?? good.
ALSO remember that ALL but 1 OIL corps was international, in the 1960’s…
ITS NOT that we over priced the MIN WAGE..its that we OVER PRICED the TOP WAGES. the TOP 1% in the USA, make more money then MOST NATIONS in the world.
ITS NOT that CHINA has CHEAPER WORKERS, its that OUR corps went there, STARTED up again.. and ship world wide and the head quarters are in the USA. and they are STILL higher paid, then 99% of the rest of the WORLD CORP LEADERS.
SHIP THEM OUT..the corp leaders. LET them make ALL that money in the OTHER NATIONS, where corp tax is OVER 30%.
WE give so many CORP benefits in the USA, its STUPID. A STRAIGHT % would solve most of the problems. but there are to MANY HOLES.
The emphasis should be on SAVING money for the consumer, and making money..
NOT MAKING MONEY, ONLY..
There is TECH out there that is NOT ALLOWED in the USA. its a big contention at this time.
It used to be, that corps would FIND AWAY to do something…NOW they farm it out. the problem is they DONT look at the cost of doing things THEMSELVES..
ECA,
You are missing the greater problem.
The cumulative government structure in this country is an oppressively burdensome hierarchy.
Businesses have to deal with an assloadius maximus of governmental agencies in the United States, all of which are headless horsemen and bumbling.
I think this makes corporations callous. They are up to their neck in “compliance” and minutia.
As a result, they have a cynical demeanor in the
USA and care only about profit and to exploit.
To them this means specifically: rake profit where possible, shut down stuff and move it to somewhere less burdensome (specifically offshoring).
Our government is so highly inefficient, it is ridiculous.
The legal environment is also dumb. As with the USA’s love of “software patents”.
This country is going to be setback for at least a generation. Maybe longer.
No sane business wants to be located here, but they want to sell in the USA. So that’s what they do…
They build overseas and ship here.
Which means no jobs, a huge trade deficit, no tax base …
47, Theone, government employees DO NOT NEED to be union members. They can already vote politicians out and into office. If the union can screw up GM, then can screw up this country with all sorts of entitlements.
Generally speaking government jobs have had better job security, but not better pay. I must have been sleeping at the wheel to think that government jobs on average pay substantially more than the private sector. 🙂
51, Chris, It’s called the “MBA Mindset”. 😉
54,
and you are debating this??
The major corps have given ALLOT to acticities to change laws, to pay off the legislators, to HIDE money..
and STILL those on top make ENOUGH money to buy a HOUSE and CAR every day of the year. AND still have record profits enough to pay for STOCK.
Make up your mind, are we talking about the TOP 1% or the corps? they are not the same.
Bill gates is considered a Write off to MS. Anything they pay him is just a write off, for his services and the Corp pays the taxes. THATS a working person. There are people that DONT work, that have TONS of money, that isnt taxed as they DONT WORK.
You arnt even debating that I suggested that wages on the top are 100 times what they were 30 years ago, compared to the wages on the bottom only going up 2 times. Or that EVERY other nations, CEO/board members/upper wage earners make LESS then 20% of what the USA top wage earners make.
NOw you want to debate Copyrights, and GOV regulations. I AGREE about copyrights, they should DROP ALL of them after 5 years of Corp use, and 20 years of Individual use.
90% of regulations for companies and corps are to keep the Cits, from being taken advantage of and to keep them SAFE. The problem we have is the ONLY people talking to the GOV. tend to be idiots and the CORPS.
After a gov. has made the BASIC laws over how cits, can interact. Their only job is to PROTECT the cits from external influences, and they have done a BAD job at that. MOSTLY because the Corps Complain worse then a 2 year old.
Ever wonder WHY the Head quarters for the CORP never goes over seas WITH THE JOBS? THINk hard about that.
1. MOST of those countries ARENT democratic, and let you KEEP your money.
2. regulations, on the corp on the amounts of profit that can KEEP.
3. NO STOCK MARKET, FREE MONEY..
4. the Gov’s of the other nations are INVOLVED with the corps.
5. Corps in the USA arent the maker. THEy are the MIDDLE MAN. the maker is WHOLESALE and makes 10-20% markup. the Middle man makes 1000% markup.
Ok, now you are making some sense.
I understood of the above around 2003 when mortgage lenders were going ape-shit and our economy was fueled, literally, by home equity loans (what a plan!).
I hope you understand that both parties are hopelessly co-opted by “big business”.
Meanwhile … voters will continue to worry about who wins American Idol and the left and the right will point fingers at each other as “the one that is really to blame” for a few years to come yet.
For me, I understand the market situation and the economic conditions and the political situation and have adapted to try to minimize the impact.
Still, it remains true that the “good easy jobs” will not be returning. So it will be a return to hard work.
I mean who is going to solve these problems? Obama? The Republicans? The Democrats?
None of them are.
No one will solve the problem.
WE/they can only FIX the leaks, and pray the dam stays.
CORPS wont fix anything..
And to fix the GOV, we would have to have a SAY in whats happening/going on and HAPPENED.
To help the Cits, we would have to Educate them on HOW to affect government..
#7 and #33 people are jobless and u talked like an asshole just come out your mama ass. let me know wher u at so I can come over and slap the crap out of u. fucking assholes
I worked for a company for 23 years and was laid off in July 2008. Instead of becoming depressed and hiding out I decided to take this as an opportunity to further my education. Since being laid off I have been attending school fulltime. I have been in a very extensive program and lucky for me unemployment has been extended and allowed me to go to school, for nursing, and concentrate on my studies. Now my unemployment has run out and I have been scrambeling to find a job that will work around my school schedule. I have come to far to quit school now and am determined to finish I have 1 1/2 years to go. I am thankful for the opportunity and not complaining that I will be working and attending school people do it all the time. I wish the government would have some type of program that would subsidise income for persons that were laid off ( I was making 24.00 an hour when laid off) unemployment cuts income in half and now I will be lucky if I can find a job making 10-12 an hour.
I have been off for 18 months. Just had a meeting at the place i worked at. They said, things will be worse this year than last, business wise. They said, dont plan on coming back this year. There are no jobs out there. People who feel you should work at mcdonalds or burger king are living in fantasy land. If you think that micky D’s is a life/family sustaining job, please give up your good job and give it a try. I am sure you will be able to pay for your home, your utilities, your car, your boat, pay for your kids educations, school supplies activities ect and put food on your table. NOT, it wont happen. All these people calling out of work people lazy are living in a fantasy world. Everyone wants a job equivalent to what they had, not some 7.50 and hour job that may buy ya gas for your car and some hot dogs and ramen noodles….
I was laid off over a year ago, looking at congress its easy to assume that support is over, they sure want it over. Most people seem to make good points that the lack of jobs and overall problem is far from over.
Simple fact is that I’ve had one minor nervous breakdown through all of this and that’s enough for me. I’m planning to remove myself if I face homelessness in the coming weeks.
I worked nearly every day since I was 16. My way of life (working) is missing and soon my way of trying to get it back (gov support) will be removed.