Please take the time to read and sign the following petition. 5000 signatures are required for this petition to receive the attention of the White House. Your signature will go a long way to helping out millions of long-term unemployed. Click on this link to view the petition.

WE PETITION THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO:

Extend unemployment benefits past 99 weeks for ALL long-term unemployed Americans – for the 99ers and ANY “exhaustee”

Very soon an estimated 10 million Americans and their families will have exhausted all 99 weeks of their unemployment insurance benefits (or whatever their State’s maximum qualifying weeks were). Please extend these benefits past 99 weeks for ALL long-term unemployed Americans, especially for the “99ers” and any “exhaustee”, until there are enough jobs available. Because of age or physical imitations, many can not be expected to pick up a shovel. Many have already been without any income at all for a year or longer and barely subsist on food stamps. The 99ers and “exhaustees” can no longer wait for 14 million jobs to gradually come online over a protracted period of time. We’ve waited as long as we could.

http://bud-meyers.blogspot.com/2011/09/official-white-house-petition-for-99ers.html

Another stark reality is the fact that the jobs market has stalled and job creation has fallen to its lowest level of 2011. The June 2011 employment report contained plenty of bad news; only 18,000 jobs were created, the unemployment rate increased to 9.2%, and hourly wages and hours worked both fell slightly. The job creation revisions for April and May were both to the downside.

Long-term unemployment remained at historically elevated levels as those out of work for more than 52 weeks increased by 34,000 from a year earlier to 4,364,000, or 30.3% of all unemployed. A large part of that 4,364,000 includes 2,039,000 unemployed who have been out of work for 99 weeks or longer, an increase of 105,000 from the previous month. This is the first time since the 99 week statistic has been tracked by the BLS that it has exceeded the two million mark.

99er (exhausted all unemployment benefits) Brenda McFadden, was a corporate travel consultant for more than 20 years, but is finding that the job market can be unforgiving. Has she seen job market improvements? “Not at all. My state is still over 10% (unemployment). It frustrates me to see the U.S. throwing money we don’t have to outside entities, i.e. funding wars and uprisings etc. and yet there are no funds to continue support of the Long Term unemployed during this monumental economic downturn (supporting them would be good for the economy in that they turn around and spend it not hoard it). 99ers especially, are ignored and forgotten and are being swept under the national rug.”

While unemployment is at historically high levels considering the economy is supposed to be in recovery mode, the tragedy of long-term unemployment is especially troublesome. The longer a person remains jobless the more difficult it is to find new work. Many prospective employers often disparage the long-term unemployed for being lazy, having out-of-date skills and not having the confidence to step into a new position.

“And on top of that some companies — including PMG Indiana, Sony Ericsson and retailers nationwide — have explicitly barred the unemployed or long-term unemployed from certain job openings, outright telling them in job ads that they need not apply.

D.V. from Modesto, CA, feels the sting of long-term job rejection, “Unemployment is still above 18% locally and I still don’t even get returned phone calls for minimum-wage jobs.”

The jobs crisis can be especially difficult for older workers. “At the present age of 64 and having been out of work for the last 1 3/4 years, I do a lot less, eat much less, get a special discount at the YMCA, shop on Senior discount days, walk a lot more, try to combine trips to avoid using too much fuel,” opines Thomas Rainey of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. “The job market for seniors has always been rather bleak; it seems it has really gotten a lot worse in these last few years.”

Brenda McFadden believes that new laws need to be put in place discouraging discriminatory practices that affect the long-term unemployed. “I would like to see strong legislation and penalties to employers who practice discrimination — age related or employment status — and also see relaxed credit reviews when looking at the unemployed for hire because what may have been good or great credit once may be no longer… doesn’t mean they won’t make a good employee.”

With the number of long-term unemployed increasing, it may be reasonable to think that a great deal of effort is being expended to address the issue. Unfortunately, that is not the case. More time and effort is being spent cutting unemployment benefits than devising job or retraining programs.

Many state legislatures, including Florida and Michigan, enacted legislation that reduces the number of weeks the unemployed can collect state benefits.

State changes to unemployment won’t be noticed until 2012, but the federal unemployment extensions are affecting newly laid off workers now:

Workers laid off through no fault of their own will not be eligible for any of the generous extended unemployment benefits layoff victims have received from the federal government since 2008.

Underemployment is also underreported. According to the BLS, underemployment is “persons employed part time for economic reasons.” Underemployment is a job of 1-34 hours a week. As of June, 8.6 million workers were considered underemployed. When including the underemployed, the “real’ unemployment rate spikes to 16.2%.

Underemployment is hardship for many part-timers, including “Lis Rosser” a 40-something resident of Myrtle Beach, SC. “I would say over the past years 3+ years, I have applied for at least 500 or so jobs, in 5 or more states via on-line/sending resumes, in person, or phone calls to previous employers. The answer is always the same — call back in a couple of months- or we’re not hiring right now.”

“I have been unable to find any full time or permanent work of any kind. I applied for anything from McDonald’s (they would never even interview me), even worked cleaning toilets and vacation rentals last summer, and now work as a pt (part-time) timeshare tele-marketer. No one else will hire me, and I have been with the same company for over a year @ $8.00 an hour plus commission and no benefits. They have laid me off 3 or 4 times during this time, and then call me back.”

Living on unemployment benefits or part-time wages can be very difficult, “I struggle to get by on about $150 – $175 a week- net pay, when I used to make $500 – $600 a week, plus full benefits, working for Harrah’s Resorts in Atlantic City. I receive ‘partial’ food stamps here in SC, and that’s it. My ‘health care’ is the Emergency Room. I can’t keep juggling everything, and trying to keep just my cell phone on (needed for work), my car insurance and rent paid, plus gas and car repairs, much longer. Every day I am deeper into this hole, and I don’t know how I will ever get out.”

With the GOP controlling the House, the chances for further unemployment extensions, or job assistance, regardless of the unemployment rate, are slight. Congressional Republicans are more concerned about bashing Obama about the current jobs situation than doing anything to improve matters. Republicans believe that more tax cuts and unfavorable trade agreements will be the cure-all for a long-simmering jobs crisis. And the Democrat controlled Senate is incapable of pushing forward jobs legislation due to GOP (and some Democrats) resistance.

That leaves President Obama and his mighty bully pulpit to stand up firmly and empathetically for the long-term unemployed. Wrongly, Obama completely ignores these long-suffering millions. As an example, during the president’s recent Twitterfesthe answered some jobs questions, but he was never offered a question about what he was willing to do for the long-term unemployed and 99ers who have exhausted all unemployment benefits. The Chicago Tribune picked up on that oversight when they released “Best Tweets Obama didn’t answer.” The best tweet?

Why is so little being done for the 6.2 million long-term unemployed? Why have 99ers been abandoned by Congress and White House? (Full disclosure, that was the tweet of this blogger.)

The GOP seems more inclined to cut social safety net programs in order to continue tax cuts for the wealthy. There are 2.5 million U.S. households earning more than $250,000 a year. These 2.5 million households are given an inordinate amount of congressional attention compared to the 6.3 million households experiencing long-term unemployment. Are the families of the wealthy more deserving of financial assistance than the families of the long-term unemployed? The actions of congress seem to indicate that is the case.

The GOP-controlled House appears fixated on reducing taxes on the wealthy and corporations, cutting Social Security, dismantling Medicare, and repealing healthcare legislation. But when Gallup asked, “What do you think is the most important problem facing this country today?” the top two answers were the Economy in general at 31% and Unemployment/Jobs at 27%. While Americans sense that jobs are an urgent matter needing immediate attention, the GOP House seems focused on partisan issues of less importance.

The emotional toll on the long-term unemployed can be devastating. Lis Rosser feels that the worst is not yet over for her, “I am afraid I will not survive this. As you know things are getting much worse and I fear the situation has not hit bottom yet.” While Lis isn’t yet hopeless, other long-term unemployed, such as Thomas Rainey, rely firmly on that most precious of emotions — hope. “But I am confident that there will be a light at the end of tunnel for all in need. We will prevail!”

For the sake of Thomas, Lis, Brenda, D.V. the 6.3 million long-term unemployed and the 8.6 million underemployed, it’s vital that their hopes not be exhausted before help arrives in the form of jobs or financial assistance. Unfortunately, considering the recent actions of this congress, expectations should not be high that help will arrive in time. Hopes will fade and the future will feel more terrifying.

Tom Toles - GoComics.com

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Additionally, the unemployment rate increased to 9%, since more people began looking for work. Returning job seekers is often considered an improved sign of job availability, but if they aren’t hired, they will go back into hiding and the unemployment rate will decline. Because of returning job seekers, the number of officially unemployed increased 205,000 to 13.75 million, which is still historically high when compared to other jobs challenged times.

One of the few honest assessments of the current jobs market was offered by Heidi Shierholz of the Economic Policy Institute:

At this point, coming out of a recession this deep, we should be getting unambiguously huge growth, of 300,000 to 400,000 [new jobs] a month,” said Heidi Shierholz, a labor economist at the Economic Policy Institute. “And it’s just nowhere near that.” She concluded: “We’re still in a rocky place.”

The job market is admittedly improving for some, but it’s not improving quickly enough for millions of jobless, especially the long-term unemployed. In April, the ranks of the unemployed who have been out of work for 99 weeks or more increased by 21,000 to a record 1,920,000. That equates to 14.5% of all unemployed.

Other long-term unemployed fared a little better in April compared to March. Those out of work for 26 weeks or more decreased from 5.839 million from 6.122 million in March. But their percentage of the overall unemployment rate remained elevated at a near record level of 43.2%. The percentage of those out of work for more and 52 weeks increased from 31.5% to 32.8% of all unemployed.

The Congress, the Obama administration and most media outlets are silent about long-term unemployment. How do they reconcile the fact that 244,000 jobs were created, but 21,000 additional workers have been unemployed for more than 99 weeks? How do they put on a happy face when a near record 5.893 million or 43.2% of all unemployed workers have been jobless for more than 26 weeks? How do they rationalize their cheerful statements of job improvements with the facts that job creation is very weak considering the trillions of dollars pumped into the economy to support Wall Street and fund tax breaks? How do they high-five the economic recovery when the labor force participation rate — the share of people over age 16 who are either working or actively seeking work — is at a low rate of 64.2%, a rate not seen since 1985? They can’t. They generally ignore the issue; long-term unemployment is the elephant in the economic recovery room.

What is being done legislatively to address this elephant in the room? To date, nothing. The GOP controlled House has been busy attempting to cut the deficit, repealing healthcare funding, and restarting offshore oil drilling. The Republicans, with the help of some Democrats, are working to weaken Wall Street regulation legislation, end net neutrality, and are arguing the Defense of Marriage Act. They are pandering to their base, acquiescing to their corporate overlords and obliging their big-wallet campaign contributors.

Congressional leaders are more concerned with ideology than reality. They have not presented a jobs bill or employment training legislation, conducted investigations on how to solve long-term unemployment, or offered tax incentives for companies to hire the long-term unemployed. They have ignored legislation, such as Rep. Barbara Lee’s H.R. 589, that would help millions of long-term unemployed, the 99ers, who have exhausted all unemployment benefits. While most of the blame can be placed at the door of the GOP controlled House, the Democratic controlled Senate and Obama have been suspiciously silent about the long-term unemployment problem.

Long-term unemployment is not only a national tragedy, but it is a personal tragedy as well. Rochelle Sevier was laid off in October 2008 while working as a recruitment coordinator for a biotech firm. Since that time, “I started my job search immediately. In addition to my job search, I attended various workshops at my local career center. As part of my search I attended job fairs, partnered with temp agencies, posted my resume online, and also submitted my resume to various positions.” During the past couple of years Rochelle took part-time temporary positions that included folding sweaters and stuffing envelopes. Her unemployment benefits ended in September 2010 and she didn’t find another job until January 2011 when an administrative position became available. Unfortunately that job ended six weeks later, “I finished out my 6th week and now I am back to square one. This rejection affected my emotional and mental state. I started to feel hopeless and depressed because I now feel like I will never work again.”

The long-term unemployed are also part of the growing ranks of food stamp recipients, personal bankruptcies, foreclosures and healthcare uninsured. Ellen Turner, who was laid off from her job in December 2008 has struggled with healthcare costs since her COBRA plan ended in June 2010.

“Now I have nothing. Hoping I can stay fairly healthy till I reach 65, and I can get Medicare. I have one knee without cartilage that has to be replaced… at a cost of 10k. Can’t do it. I have severe osteoporosis; I need fusions of reclast every year. This year, the pharmaceutical co. provided the reclast, I only have to pay for the doctor visit and lab fees: $136 bucks total. I am fortunate that I can pay this, while others at my age cannot. I turned 63 on May 10th.”

Ellen is now one of the more than 50 million Americans who do not have healthcare.

Susan R. sent the following cry for help:

“Any idea on what is happening with HR 589? My unemployment ends end of the month and I cannot get a job. I have tried everywhere. I used to be a legal secretary but now they want college which I do not have, Now you have to apply for stores, etc. online and I never hear back. I think my only hope is to kill myself. There is no hope. Also they keep saying things are getting better but I don’t see where and neither does anyone I talk to. Everyone says things are bad!!”

H.R. 589 is legislation designed to help the long-term unemployed by extending Tier 1 unemployment benefits 14 weeks. Those 14 weeks could be a financial lifesaver for millions of unemployed. Although the legislation has been discussed for months, moving it forward in a Republican controlled House will be challenging. How challenging? House Republicans are hoping to introduce legislation that could cutextended unemployment benefits in favor of lower business taxes and allow states to spend that money on other programs: The Ways and Means Committee passed a bill by 20-14 today that lets states shift some of the $31 billion they are set to get for extended unemployment aid to prevent the tax increases, pay back federal loans or fund job-training programs.

While those are all commendable options, they are long-term rewards that won’t help those that need immediate financial assistance. Oil companies have reported record profits, but the GOP favors giving them billions in taxpayer subsidies while at the same time forcing the long-term unemployed to suffer without any financial assistance.

The latest H.R.589 update comes from Crew of 42′s Lauren Victoria Burke; the news is both positive and disappointing:

The good news for 99ers: The president mentioned he wants to possibly attach the 99ers money to some other big piece of legislation somehow… which piece, how and when is unclear…The bad news for 99ers: The president does not seem deeply motivated to to actively support unemployment benefits in general terms.

Congress needs to address the elephants in the room, since millions of Americans are being sidelined by a relatively weak job market. That needs to change quickly and dramatically or more hard-working individuals such as Rochelle, Ellen and Susan will continue to bare the financial hardship and personal pain of long-term unemployment. Open your eyes now, Congress. The elephants in the economic recovery room won’t simply go away if your eyes remain closed.

Tom Toles - GoComics 5-12-11

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Today the CBC met with White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley for about an hour. During the meeting the issue of the 99ers and unemployment extensions was discussed.

While there have been many meetings between Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and legislative leaders about moving forward on H.R. 589, all those efforts have yet to produce any concrete plans about how the legislation can move toward passage.

Facebook 99erAID member, Rochelle Sevier, sent an H.R. 589 update after calling both Rep. Barbara Lee and House Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI):

I spoke with Rep Barbara Lee’s office re HR589 and was told there is no date to bring the bill to the House floor for a vote. This means we need to keep the heat on Rep Dave Camp. His office phone# is 202-225-3561. I called Camp’s office and they are logging calls with respect to the bill.

Thanks, Rochelle, for making the effort to keep the pressure on Congress to act quickly. It’s vital that H.R. 589 or some other assistance is made available to the growing ranks of the long-term unemployed. Last month an additional 127,000 unemployed were determined to be out of work for 99 weeks or longer. The official BLs estimate of workers unemployed for 99 weeks or longer now stands at nearly 1.9 million, which is a record level. The 1.9 million BLS estimate doesn’t include the unemployed who have exhausted their state maximum unemployment benefits in states that allow less than 99 weeks of benefits.

One of the most highly respected and influential financial experts, Mohamed A. El-Erian – CEO and co-CIO of PIMCO – has a clear understanding of American unemployment, he calls it a crisis. In an excellent article, Sleepwalking through America’s Unemployment Crisis, Mr. El-Erian paints a picture of American leaders refusing to awaken to the unemployment crises which rises brightly before them:

Let us start with the facts:

·         At 8.8% almost three years after the onset of the global financial crisis, America’s unemployment rate remains stubbornly (and unusually) high;

·         Rather than reflecting job creation, much of the improvement in recent months (from 9.8% in November last year) is due to workers exiting the labor force, thus driving workforce participation to a multi-year low of 64.2%;

·         If part-time workers eager to work full time are included, almost one in six workers in America are either under- or unemployed;

·         More than six million workers have been unemployed for more than six months, and four million for over a year;

·         Unemployment among 16-19 year olds is at a staggering 24%;

With virtually no earned income and dwindling savings, the unemployed are least able to manage the current surge in gasoline and food prices, they are effectively shut off from credit, and many have mortgage debt that exceed the value of their homes.

The statistics alone are disturbing, but when those statistics are combined with the realities faced by for millions long-term unemployed, the problem morphs into tragedy.

Mr. El-Erian concludes:

The US government has little time to waste if it is to avoid an even more protracted and entrenched unemployment problem. It must move now to address the problem’s sources through multi-year programs that range from educational restructuring and worker retraining to productivity enhancement and housing-sector reform. And it must do so while better protecting the long-term unemployed, many of whom bear little responsibility for their current, once unthinkable, and unfortunately long-lasting predicament.

It is past time for the US to wake up and confront in a holistic fashion its unemployment crisis. As everyone who has ever had an unpalatable job knows, shutting off the alarm and pulling the blanket over one’s head is not a solution.

Unfortunately, the GOP controlled House is asleep at the unemployment wheel and has done absolutely nothing to further job creation or advance critically needed unemployment assistance.

What legislation is the GOP House currently considering?

OpenCongress: If you need any more evidence that the House Republicans have given up on serious legislating for the year, look no further than the schedule for their first week back from recess. Votes are planned on repealing potentially popular parts of the new health care reform law, restricting federal funding to health care providers that provide abortion services even though no federal money is used for the abortion services, and expanding oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

Not a single mention of jobs or unemployment legislation is being considered by the House, or the Democratic controlled Senate for that matter. America’s most vexing issue – unemployment – is receiving zero attention from an out-of- focus Congress.

H.R. 589 or other immediate assistance is literally becoming a matter of life and death for many long-term unemployed. This past week a very active person in the 99er community tried to take his life. For privacy reasons, he is identified as 99erX. His roommate and best friend sent the following, in part:

It’s with a sad heart that I’ve returned to let people know that we nearly lost one last night. You all know him as 99erX. I know him as a roommate and best friend. I found him unconscious and barely breathing at a little after 6 this morning from a nicotine overdose. He was rusted to the emergency room and is expected to make a full recovery physically. Emotionally I’m not so sure. He’s one of the strongest people I know and he’d reached the end of his rope. I should have seen it coming with the way he’d become distant, even with the kids. Just figured it was a ‘phase’ or something. He left a simple note that just read: ‘I’m sorry’.

He’s sorry. 99erX has no reason to be sorry, it’s a dysfunctional unemployment system, overseen by clueless high-level bureaucrats and controlled by inept and shortsighted state legilators and congressional representatives that should carry the weight of being sorry. I have had contact with 99erX and he is a very talented, personable and intelligent individual. He is someone who certainly deserves better than he has received from a dispassionate Congress that finds it easier to bailout crooked and corrupted bankers using trillions of taxpayer dollars than to assist millions of vulnerable Americans who have lost jobs through no fault of their own. Here’s hoping for a speedy recovery for 99erX.

While Mr. El-Erian states that America is sleepwalking through the unemployment crisis, the unemployed are living with the sleepless nights and reoccurring nightmare of unemployment. Wake up, Congress, the time to act is now.

Bankruptcy

These are difficult economic times for many. Job loss, foreclosure, lack of healthcare benefits and excessive credit card debt can put you in a tough spot. If you lose your job, you may have to dip into your savings to pay your bills and when savings run out, you may have to use your credit cards to make ends meet. Those debts can be suffocating and make you feel that you have no way out, but you do.

You are not alone with high debt loads. More than 1.4 million people filed bankruptcy in 2009. There is relief and it’s not far away. You can educate yourself on what to do next by taking an online bankruptcy course  or a credit counseling course.

Take the time to educate yourself before you decide which avenue is best for you. Don’t think you don’t have any options. Check out the online bankruptcy course or a credit counseling course and start fresh.

States across the country are dealing with balanced budget issues. Unlike the federal government, states need to produce balanced budgets. Most states are reluctant to raise taxes in a recession, since the voters aren’t in the mood to pay more money for the same services. And taxing the wealthy isn’t possible, since the wealthy own access to most statehouses and threaten to stop campaign contributions. As a result, states are cutting funding in areas of the budget that seem to receive voter approval; aid to the poor and the unemployed.

The Good:

New Jersey:

The Democratic State Senate in New Jersey is taking a different approach by recalculating the federal guidelines which will allow for unemployed New Jerseyans to collect 20 weeks of extended benefits.

The bill would broaden the first trigger to account for the unemployment rate for the preceding three years as opposed to the preceding two. By broadening the 110 percent trigger, New Jersey would be able to continue providing extended benefits, because the unemployment rate in 2008 was between 4.2 and 6.0 percent.  The continued payment extended benefits would not result an increased cost to the State’s Unemployment Insurance Fund, because the federal act provides for full federal funding of extended benefits through December 31, 2011.

New Jersey legislators realize that this extension will not affect their state budget and it will help thousands of unemployed. What stands in the way of this bill being passed? Republican Gov. Christie still needs to sign the legislation.

New York:

New York, like New Jersey, is expected to approve legislation that will allow extended unemployment benefits for up to 166,000 unemployed New Yorkers.

The new bill will amend state law and allow New York to qualify for a third year in the program. It is estimated that 166,000 unemployed New Yorkers will be affected by this legislation.

“This legislation is crucial aid for unemployed New Yorkers, because without it the state will forfeit an estimated $620 million in federally funded unemployment insurance benefits,” Thiele noted.

While New Jersey unemployed wait on republican Gov. Christie to sign extended unemployment legislation, New York’s democratic Gov. Cuomo is expected to sign extended unemployment benefits legislation.

Oregon:

By unanimous vote, the House passed Senate Bill 637, which would allow the state to draw additional federal unemployment money through the end of the year. There are currently 11,876 people participating in the federal extended benefits program, according to the Oregon Employment Department. With the legislation, officials estimate about 50,000 out-of-work Oregonians would qualify by the end of the year.

Under a plan approved by Congress in December, the federal government will pick up all the costs.

The House also endorsed Senate Bill 638, which offers an additional six weeks of state benefits to Oregonians who have been out of work for more than 99 weeks and have exhausted all other benefits, including the federal extensions.

The Bad

Missouri:

Some Missouri State Senate Republicans want to refuse federal funds that would allow unemployed Missourians to collect an additional 20 weeks of benefits:

Republican lawmakers in Missouri are balking at accepting federal dollars to pay for 20 weeks of unemployment benefits for the long-term jobless, even though the spending would not affect state budgets, and legislators in Michigan may follow suit.

Five Republicans in the Missouri Senate have launched a filibuster to prevent their legislature from implementing a technical change to its laws that would allow the state to accept the funds, which total roughly $96 million.

Unfortunately, a few Missouri State Senate republicans could suddenly end extended unemployment benefits for thousands of Missourians:

Long-term unemployed in Missouri will lose their benefits – KansasCity.com. The extended benefits program, which has been in place in Missouri for two years, uses federal funds to provide unemployment benefits up to 99 weeks. It would have funneled about $106 million in federal money to the state’s unemployed beginning in April and running through next January.

Other state and federal unemployment programs provide benefits up to 79 weeks and will remain in place.

But Thursday — the General Assembly’s last work day before a 10-day spring break — was effectively the deadline to pass the bill without an interruption of benefits for those unemployed past 79 weeks.

Because the Senate failed to act, the extended benefits program will expire March 27, and the final checks will go out April 2.

The state Department of Labor estimates 11,700 Missourians were receiving extended benefits in early March, while about 6,500 more were nearing the 79-week cutoff.

About 950 unemployed workers become eligible for the extended benefits each week, according to department officials.

Michigan:

In Michigan, they give and they take away:

While federally funded extended benefits are likely to be approved, there will be a cut in future state unemployment benefits:

Michigan’s long-term unemployed may soon be called 93ers instead of 99ers after the Republican-led state legislature passed a bill to reduce Tier 1 unemployment benefits from 26 weeks to 20 weeks for those who apply for benefits after January 2012.

The bill, which was written to prevent unemployment fraud, contained two amendments — one of which helps those currently unemployed avoid being cut off early. If that provision was not passed by Friday, 150,000 Michigan residents currently receiving unemployment would have lost their benefits before they ran out If Michigan again sees a job crisis, the unemployed will only receive 20 weeks of jobless benefits. How that will mesh with any federal program hasn’t been considered at this time.

Florida

Legislation takes away future state benefits:

Florida’s Republican-controlled House passed a bill curbing unemployment benefits as the state announced its jobless rate remained above 11 percent for the 15th consecutive month.

The bill, which passed by 81 to 38 in Tallahassee today, would reduce benefit coverage to 20 weeks from 26 and cap the maximum weekly payment at the current $275. The measure now moves to the Senate, also led by Republicans.

As with Michigan, this only affects state benefits, but how that will mesh with federal benefits is anyone’s guess at this point.

Arkansas

The Arkansas State Senate passed legislation that cuts the eligible unemployment benefit weeks by one and adds some qualifications.

Under the bill, the 26-week benefit period would be shortened to 25 weeks. Some of the qualifications for benefits also would be modified, he said.

The bill also requires that people who refuse to take another job at their place of employment, rather than being fired for poor performance, would not be eligible for benefits.

The Ugly

Michigan:

While any system designed to send money to individuals can be abused, it’s especially costly when the unemployed are the ones doing the abusing. A Michigan investigation showed millions of dollars in fraudulent claims attributed to false reporting and shoddy payment practices by the state’s employment department.

An newly released report by the Michigan Auditor General says Michigan passed out an extra $72.5 million in unemployment benefits, and failed to enforce fraud-related penalties of  up to $236 million.

Of the $72.5 million in overpayments, $8.2 million were from not adequately verifying a claimant’s identity, $7.9 million were from payments to ineligible aliens and $400,000 were paid out to dead people.

With more states trying to save money, the unemployed and the poor are the perfect scapegoats for cuts, especially when fraud can be proved. Business tax fraud, government fraud and mismanagement are not given the same weight as fraud perpetrated by poor and unemployed citizens.

Where are the jobs?

The Great Recession may be considered by some to be over, but the supposed recovery is still fragile and the job market has not provided the jobs necessary to substantially lower the unemployment rate. The main reason why the unemployment rate has fallen in the past two months is that so many people have given up looking for work.

If you actually adjust for the fact that the labour force participation rate has plunged this cycle to a 27-year low the unemployment would be sitting at 12% today.

Another fact that needs to be considered by these legislators in states considering the ending of extended benefits is that it will take the creation of 300,000 jobs each month for the next three years to reduce the unemployment rate to 7%, which is still historically high.

Currently there are more than 8 unemployed/underemployed and looking for a job for each one job opening. That’s not a jobs statistic that shows robust employment opportunities.

While the corporate media talking heads and government spin masters speak of a jobs recovery, the facts show otherwise. More than 6 million unemployed have been out of work for more than 27 weeks and the ranks of the 99ers continues growing with estimates ranging from two to 4 million or more.

AlterNet presents a story of how difficult the job market is for millions of long-term unemployed. Check it out:

8 Unemployed for Every Job Opening: What Are They Supposed to Do Once Their Benefits Run Out?

This is still a very difficult job market and until jobs are created in large numbers, unemployment benefits need to be extended.

Unemployment situation

Have you been the victim of a temp agency that won’t give you an interview because you are unemployed? Have you seen jobs ads for “employed only” or “unemployed need not apply”? Have you lost a chance at a job due to a poor credit score? Send your job rejection experiences to mike@layofflist.org.

You can also view my updates and new posts at Twitter: http://twitter.com/layofflist and Facebook

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Huffington Post is kind enough to give me a chance to post my work at their site. I hope to be able to spread the 99er word using their larger audience. You can see my efforts at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-thornton.

Mike Lukovich - GoComics

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Credit Repair

A poor credit score can damage more than your ability to get the best interest rates on purchasing a home or a vehicle, it can hurt your chances of landing that new job. Many unemployed have poorer credit scores because of late payments, repossession or foreclosure. Those lower credit scores are often reviewed by hiring agencies and HR departments as a way of weeding out workers from prospective job openings.

Even if you have found a new job, you may want to purchase a new home or a new vehicle; your credit score will be the difference between being offered a lower interest rate or one that is significantly higher.

Two outfits that offer credit repair services are The Credit People and Repair Your Bad Credit. Both offer a free consultation and testimonials from satisfied customers. If you are looking to improve your credit score, a credit repair service may be an effective way to reach that goal.

Whether it’s the purchase of a new home, another vehicle or finding a new job, a better credit score is beneficial.