Extra Unemployment Benefits Lose in Senate

That's because the Republicans think the economy is on the way up. Those senators have probably never really been unemployed in their life. Even if they were, most of them have millions in the bank so why would they support something they don't personally need.

I moved from a state (Oregon) that's had the highest unemployment rate in the country for almost 3 years now. I moved to Idaho which has one of the top 5 best econemys in the country. I noticed a deference right away in the calls that I suddenly started getting on my resume. When you live in a part of a country where there are 300 other people applying for the same jobs that you are and more and more people are getting layed off every week it's not so easy to find a job and get off unemployment.

The government knows about this problem but they are turning their back because they thing that unemployed people are just lazy and that everybody should be able to get a job in 6 months. Well I'm sorry but that's not true in all parts of the country.

Well at least the states can still extend benifits:


Oregon extends jobless benefits to thousands laid off in past year

An "insured unemployment rate" increase triggers additional payments for as many as 15,000

03/05/04

BRENT HUNSBERGER

Sometimes, bad news on the unemployment rate can be good news for the unemployed.

State officials on Thursday announced the extension of jobless benefits for as many as 15,000 Oregonians laid off in the past year.

The Oregon Employment Department's "insured unemployment rate" hit 4.52 percent last week, officials confirmed, triggering a 61/2-week extension for workers who had filed their initial unemployment claims in the past 52 weeks but whose benefits had run out.

The payments were extended through the Oregon Additional Benefits program, which kicks into effect once the state's insured unemployment rate exceeds 4.5 percent.

The rate measures jobless rates for former workers of companies covered by the state's insurance program. The state's regular unemployment rate -- 7.7 percent in January -- measures rates of joblessness among workers laid off by all employers.

The Employment Department estimates the number of workers who qualify for the extension at 14,000 to 15,000.

The news could bring relief to Marion County resident Sharon Tovrea, 64, whose $306-a-week benefit expired two weeks ago. She cut back on groceries to make loan payments on her 1998 Saturn, with only her husband's Social Security check as income.

Tovrea lost her job when the Salem nursing home where she worked as a dietary supervisor closed in August. She's not sure she's eligible for the extension because the Employment Department won't tell her.

"I call every day, and they say they have no information on any extensions," Tovrea said. "You have to sit on the phone waiting 10 to 15 minutes. They won't tell me anything."

Employment Department officials say field offices are too busy to take calls from the public about the extensions. All potential recipients will be notified by mail, a spokesman said.

"As we speak, the letters are going out," spokesman Craig Spivey said. "We're trying to avoid 30,000 or 40,000 (people) calling our field office."

The department will begin accepting claims March 14, Spivey said.

Typical.........
Guess who voted against it, duh !

The Republicans...........

But if some giant corporation needed financial aid they would jump at the chance to help them with taxpayer money.

SSS

sss2333
sss2333, welcome to Able2Know; glad to have you here.

What is the state of unemployment in the area in which you live?

BumbleBeeBoogie

Re: sss2333


It's not good, I am in central Illinois, Peoria to be exact. The jobs are all low paying burger flipping work etc. I have a friend with a college degree who recently lost his computer job. He signed up with the local job service, they keep sending him jobs that pay $6 to $7 an hour. Hell his unemployment pays more than that, why would anyone take a job that pays less than their unemployment benefits.

In Galesburg the maytag plant that has 1600 workers is closing and sending all those jobs to mexico. The city only has 30,000 people, maytag is the #1 employer, it will devastate the community. And the plant is making money, they are just moving the jobs to mexico to increase the company profits.

SSS

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"Nickles said jobless workers have more incentive to find a job when the extra unemployment benefits stop. "The more you pay people not to work, the less inclined they are to work," he said. "


Despicable.



What ever happened to compassionate conservatives ?

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