Unemployment benefits to be extended in 27 states on clarkhoward.com

CLARKONOMICS: Unemployment benefits are likely to be extended by 13 weeks in the 27 states that have been hardest hit by joblessness.

These states include Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Washington, Wisconsin and West Virginia.

Again, this has not been signed into law yet, but it is a bill that's destined to become law very soon.

We are in a cycle that likely won't see a decent recovery in the job market until 2011 or 2012. Clark says this reluctantly because, for the unemployed, taking 2010 off the table is dispiriting. The reality is that in 2010 we'll reach equilibrium between job losses and job gains. But we won't see a true recovery until a year or two out beyond that point.

What others are saying

Anything yet
I realize that this originally was posted at the end of Sept. Now we are closing in on the end of Oct and still no new word as of yet. I am getting a little anxious - This is my 2nd week off of my benefits and I am getting concerned then when and if an extension takes place, I will have already lost everything. I am trying not to freak out, but it's hard not to. Anyone have any new news?
By Jennifer @ 10/26/09 12:12:01 PMreport abuse
Unemployment
Unemployment is awful. Trust me, no one
who has worked for 40 years wants to draw unemployment. All the people who have jobs seem to think unemployment
is a gift. It is insurance paid by employers to enable them to lay off workers when and if they want to.It is a benefit not a hand out.
You should never feel guilty applying for and getting unemployment.
I think you should get unemployment benefits for as long as you need it.
Corporate America can and will lay you off anytime they want to and older workers get the shaft----no one wants to hire them anymore---they get fired first.
By Tim @ 09/28/09 01:01:57 AMreport abuse
Unemployment
Look a slaker is a slaker no matter if the person is working or not.The main concern for all Americans should be the former hard working people who now need this money to make ends meet.Beleive me ,we are all just a paycheck away from unemployment with cutbacks and employers bottom lines like they are.People are being laid off from $60,000 a year to $6.00 an hr.No only a compleat fool would accept unenemployment as a road to riches.Ask the unemployed people who are in court fighting to keep their homes,trying to pay back rent,no HEALTH CARE because they can't afford insurance.No access to the internet because the electric and phone is off,because money is needed to keep a roof over their family heads and food.Beleiveme,when you have it's easy to say people should be like you and stick your chest out and boast on how you made it out of hard times,but,sometimes life can hit you in the chest so hard that you need something to help you regain air,like unemployment to those who need it.Ask GM workers,retail workers,constrution workers,office workers,even corporate people,who worked for years and overtime.This has affected Americans of all walks of employment and well all must pull together to get this economy back.Don.t kick a person when their down because you may slip and fall down with them and hope someone extends their hand to help you up.
By Jw @ 09/26/09 06:15:16 PMreport abuse
Unemployment
I'm very grateful they have extended unemployment benefits. College educated, single, nearly 59 years old, and I find myself laid off for the 1st time in my life. I've earned a paycheck since I was 16, and worked since I was 12. You think it's touch to get a job out of college, try it when companies peg you as "soon to retire". Most of us are looking as hard as we can for work, as unemployment will hardly cover a mortgage,utilities and food when you're on your own. It's made more challenging by the fact that companies are taking advantage of the circumstances, and offering very low salaries, basically entry level. I'm not at the end of my rope yet, thank goodness, but as soon as health insurance starts costing more than 25% of my unemployment, I'm not sure how I'll cope. Give us some training for new careers, help us get hired for a decent living wage job.
By Marlene @ 09/26/09 03:58:43 PMreport abuse
unemployment
Some of these unemployment naysayers have (gratefully) not experienced a job loss and should count their blessings! Myself on the other hand have had this disturbing experience and I can tell you how unnerving it is. My job searches via my pc has netted me approx 3 1/2 reams of paper (25% both sides used now!) of printouts of job postings I have applied for since late January 09 in order to keep account for my unemployment benefits, I must have ready to submit when they ask me for them. When I do get the interview or some type of response from a posting I hear repeat stories of how this person or company posting the job is inundated with 1 - 2 - 3 hundred inquiries or responses. Searching for a job, trying to make ends meet, leaving avenues of communications open to be contacted or enabling me to reach out to inquire...costs money!...let alone even putting gas in the vehicle to go LOOKING for a job is an almost impossible task. I had a good job at 60k and had adjusted our living to that as well as putting savings aside which is helping to stave off those situations where my paid off vehicle (thankfully) is now going to cost me a few hundred bucks to get it running again.So for those who are less than sympathetic to the unemployed,or even some that are now under employed I would ask you to rethink your conviction before passing judgement on someone under or unemployed. Myself personally am 51 and unemployed.....where do I go from here with a mortgage, bills, heating season is upon us soon, one child 1/2 way through college (parent plus loan doen't care I'm unemployed) another to graduate high school in 2010 readying for college, I'm stumped!For the first time in my life (worked for every dime) I find myself in an unemployment line swallowing hard my pride, hoping for a break to land a decent job. How about giving us a break, or at least for a month or two walk in my boots!
By gp @ 09/26/09 01:29:20 PMreport abuse
Stipulations
For some people the extension of unemployment is a Godsend. I know a few people on unemployment but I highly doubt they are ever even looking for a job. Instead of the focus being just giving out checks; why isn't the focus on having those receiving unemployment actively search for a new job? There are honest people out there; but there is also people that are bucking the system.
By tj @ 09/26/09 09:09:50 AMreport abuse
necessary
It is unfortunate when people try to cheat the system, but the truth is that the job market is very tough right now. When you have to support a family, you cannot just take a minimum wage job (or even two) because they just don't pay enough. Hopefully the economy will bounce back even faster than expected and all of this will be moot.
By Lee @ 09/25/09 01:40:11 PMreport abuse
Relief
This will be a relief for so many people. I lost my job, and I look for work non-stop, P/T, employment agencies, etc. I keep telling myself I'll get a job soon, I'll get a job soon.....
By California Girl @ 09/25/09 01:15:07 PMreport abuse
Pull the plug
Oh how compassionate - why don't we just make unemployment pay permanent? I know someone who has collected unemployment ($300/wk) for over a year. This person actually jokes about his predicament. He says things like "I'm desperate and I'll take any job...that meets my standards". IOW, he is not very serious about finding work.

Compassion and kindness work up to a point. When people start gaming the system, it's time to cut them off.
By Jeff @ 09/25/09 12:08:13 PMreport abuse

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Sep 24, 2009 -- Unemployment benefits to be extended in 27 states

What others are saying