About two million unemployed Americans will see their unemployment insurance benefits expire right after Thanksgiving of this year. The House of Representatives voted against extending unemployment benefits for another 90 days. This means that a whole lot of people are going to have a very bleak holiday season.
Unemployment insurance provides financial benefits for Americans who became unemployed due to no fault of their own. You cannot simply decide to quit your job, in favor of collecting unemployment insurance. This insurance is for people who lost their jobs because the company or business closed. It is for people who were terminated from their place of employment because the business could no longer sustain the amount of employees it once had, due to changes in the economy. Every state has their own official department that decides who is, and who is not, eligible for unemployment insurance benefits.
One of the requirements for collecting unemployment benefits is that the person must continue to look for work. Unfortunately, looking for work doesn’t automatically mean that a job will be found. I’ve heard it said that there are something like five applicants for every one job that still exists. Many places are only hiring part-time workers. Ultimately, this means that there are a lot of Americans who are unemployed right now, and who have been unemployed for a very long time, despite their efforts to try and find work. There also are many people who have found part time jobs who are still eligible for unemployment insurance benefits, because the amount they make from the part time job isn’t anywhere near a living wage.
Usually, unemployment insurance benefits last around 26 weeks. Some people have been eligible for an extension. The current extension is set to expire on November 30, 2010. The House of Representatives voted against extending unemployment benefits for another 90 days. In short, it means that a lot of Americans are going to suddenly lose their unemployment insurance benefits, without warning, right before Christmas.
Image by Clyde Robinson on Flickr