CBS airs a complete BS story

[goodal]

I'm sorry but why shouldn't people work to get a check? Unemployment or not, shouldn't they have to do something for it? I think something like 15 hrs a week would be a reasonable amount of time for someone to collect on an unemployment check. They could do 3 hrs a day or 2 full days a week and still have time to either go to school or look for a job. I'm not saying make the 55 yr old grandmother brick a bldg, but pick something constructive that they can physically do and assign them a task. What is wrong with that?

 

[MA_PE]

The problem with that is because of the transient (hopefully and by design) nature of people on public assistance you would need a staff to continually "train" people on the "job" that you want them to do. Otherwise you're essentially hiring them on a part time basis. Even simple things like emptying waste baskets or sweeping floors would require assiatnce from someone familiar with the building to escort the worker around and show them where the "supplies" are and what is expected of them. There isn't a simple solution to put this into practice

 

[snickerd3]

adopt a highway programs...then the roads will be free of litter

 

[Dexman PE PMP]

I thought the only people to qualify for unemployment were people who were previously employed. They spent their time paying into the system as an employee, thus EARNING their benefits, then when they were laid off filed a claim. I do agree however that unemployment benefits should be revised to have a hard cap on claims though.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

I am surprised how long unemployment lasts now. When I was on it, max was six months, and was extended to nine months after 9/11.

 

[wilheldp_PE]

I am surprised how long unemployment lasts now. When I was on it, max was six months, and was extended to nine months after 9/11.

Last I heard, it was 99 weeks which translates into almost 2 years.

 

[engineergurl]

I know my dad has been on unemployment for a while, but there is some sort of deal where he found a job but the company couldn't make enough hours for him to be comparable, so he worked 20 hours a week and collected the rest to make ends meet. He did payroll for them, but I remember he also took out the trash, cleaned toilets etc etc etc.. he is nearly at the age where he can start collecting social security and because he was able to do this, he didn't have to cash in his retirement plan early (which would have had penelties) for the company he had previously worked for (had put in 30+years before things were merged, consolidated, certain portions closed and he was layed off)

I do know that 2 years seems to be the going time frame for most people that I have known that had collected.

 

[snickerd3]

my cousin's wife got layed off a week after they got married so late feb 2010 and she just found a job in dec after the unployment ran out in like october or november of 2011...so not quite 2 yrs.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

Hey Snick, if the checks stopped coming after 6 months, do you think it would have taken her two years to find a new job? Or if she had to put in 10 hours a week as a "copay"? I'm not trying to start anything here. I really am curious.

In my case I got 9 months of unemployment, but was out of work for two years. What held me back was that I really wanted to stay in the area, so I was only looking within a commuting distance, and no jobs were available.

I was underemployed for two years after that. I was pretty close to deciding to move when a good local job finally came along.

It was really kind of depressing to me.

 

[snickerd3]

She was seriously looking after the layoff then they got pregnant and no one would hire her. She had interviews but once they saw she was preggers their interest instantly disappeared.

It would depend on what she would have to do for a copay she is a little high maintanance, but she is the kind of person who would do something if asked.

Like capt, she had to look locally and the number of opening was limited

 

[engineergurl]

She was seriously looking after the layoff then they got pregnant and no one would hire her. She had interviews but once they saw she was preggers their interest instantly disappeared.

It would depend on what she would have to do for a copay she is a little high maintanance, but she is the kind of person who would do something if asked.

Like capt, she had to look locally and the number of opening was limited

Same with my Dad, he would get interviews, but then it was like when they saw how old he was and realized he would only need a job a few more years, they didn't want to hire him. He already volunteers to get out of the house anyway, and has taken several computer classes out of his own pocket (with the unemployment money but still) to help... now... he's just transitioned to social security though so I think he only wants to go back to work to get away from my mom and grandma that lives with them....

 

[wilheldp_PE]

Did you guys see the new unemployment numbers? The rate dropped to 8.3%. Supposedly, 245,000 jobs were added in January, but I think the drop in the rate was mainly based on 1.2 million people dropping off the unemployment benefits (i.e., they stopped searching for a job). The participation rate is now at 63.7% which means that percentage of citizens over the age of 16 actually hold a job. That's pretty pitiful, but I'm sure Obama is going to tout his job-creation measures as the reason the unemployment rate is falling.

All of my numbers came from articles linked to by Drudge Report, if you want clarification.