1.5 Million U.S. Unemployed Exhausting Unemployment Benefits

[Crewleader]

Economics / Recession 2008 - 2010 Jul 19, 2009 - 05:53 PM

By: Mike_Shedlock

Economics

Best Financial Markets Analysis ArticleThe Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) program began in June 30,2008. Benefits under the act have now been extended twice. Unless Obama extends the program a third time, it's the end of the line for many receiving unemployment benefits.

http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article12149.html

[CoffeeCat]

1. I know so many people...

...who have been unemployed for more than a year.

These are people with college degrees--former vice presidents, IT managers, accountants, architects,
and sales people.

These people were at the top of their game--and they are constantly going on interviews. I have someone
on my FB account who is constantly talking about interviews that she's been on--and she never gets
an offer. This is someone in the Midwest--very personable, professional, experienced--and she's got
stellar references, top dogs in her industry.

These people are interviewing at the level at which they were laid off, but they're also interviewing
for positions for which they are well over qualified. The problem is--more than 100 people apply for
even the entry-level jobs.

It is excruciating to watch this happen to people. You hurt for your friends, and you know it could
be your household that gets hit next.

[Donnachaidh]

2. my husband is one of those people

We're barely subsisting now. He's gone on innumerable interviews, and he has another scheduled tomorrow. That's after a dry spell of almost a month. It's been a REAL eye-opener for us. For those of us hanging on by sheer will, we have no expectations of help or that *hope* we all voted for last year.

[CoffeeCat]

3. I'm thinking of you...

...and I hope your husband can find a job. I imagine it has been an eye opener.

The state of the economy--and the unemployment situation is just crazy. It's so bad.

My husband's works for a high-tech start up that is hanging on by a thread. I don't
expect that the company will exist more than a year, if that. I've been a stay-at-home
mom for the past nine years. So, we're very scared too. I'm going to be doing the
whole job hunt thing this fall--and I know I have a huge mountain to climb--being out
of the workforce for nearly a decade--especially in this economy.

We took a $1,000 a month paycut for six months--and that left us unable to build up
our savings as much as we'd like.

It's very scary!

Are you employed too?

Thinking of you...hang in there. I know it's tough. You are not alone.

[Donnachaidh]

4. what has saved us is my disabilty payments

I've been disabled for over a decade, and it's the only real income that is covering our rent at this point. Husband is working a part time job that has been cut by 25%, so we're even poorer than we were when the stuff first hit the fan.

We've managed to keep our kid insured through schip, and medicare covers me, but many of the doctors in my area just won't see medicare patients. Not unless they have the medi-gap insurance, which I can't afford at the moment. I spent 4 hours in the emergency room yesterday, because of a sinus infection that was charging through my face, and wasn't going to behave itself so I could go to a clinic on Tuesday. We saw a LOT of really sick folks in the ER, many of them unemployed with no insurance. The checkout people were surly, because I couldn't pay the fee for the hospital because I needed to fill the prescriptions to get the swelling down in my face.

We've had to tap into food pantries, and go to groups to get help paying utilities. And from our experience, I've come away with a really bad attitude towards many of the faith-based groups who have received federal funding. They are the ones that force people in our situation to jump through the most hoops, and it seems (at least to me) they could give a damn about how bad it is for people right now.

We were extremely surprised to have the Salvation Army set up rules and regulations, and then suddenly turn them on their head. DH went to the location they told him to go, 2 hours ahead of the door opening, to get help. When the door opened, he was informed that he had to call on a certain day, and be one of the first 9 callers. Totally opposite what he had been told when he called.

Catholic charities has been the angels for us lately. We called the local church, and the same day St. Vincent de Paul called us, and they came to our house, sat down with us, and said that they would cover the bills we needed covering for the month. No hoops, no hurdles - just help. After months of getting run around from other *charitable* organizations I broke down and wept. Not for me, but for my husband. He's had to face job interviews AND deal with getting *help*. This man who worked his entire life, who doesn't want to have to ask for anything from others, has taken a huge beating for months, trying to keep us going.

I've gotten really short-tempered with all the * the economy is getting better* BS coming out of Washington. It's NOT. It's getting worse. And many, MANY of us are suffering, while bankers are being bailed out and Congress pisses around about healthcare. One of our friends who is a nurse called me the other day, to remind me about my son's clinic appointment. And she told me her husband was now out of work too. She's frightened, and they are trying to live off her salary. I told her I'd bring in my list of organizations that help, and give her some idea of what she may have to face if her job goes the same way. And that may happen, because the hospital is starting to lay off people.

Part of me is numb. I think I'm past the rage (anti-depressants help) - but another part of me really wants to poke anyone in the eye who buys into the *we've seen the bottom of the recession* song and dance. It's NOT true. More and more businesses are going belly-up locally. I see more people heading to the County mental health to get medicated, because many of them don't see a way out of this.

It's been a hard lesson, but we're surviving. Barely. But I'm NOT the person to talk to if you want cheerleading about our government in Washington now. BOTH sides have stiffed the working class. And both sides are going to have to answer in the next election. And in 2012.

All the pretty terminology in the world isn't going to buy the votes so easily next time.

[Hydra]

5. Not alone

And while that's cold comfort, I share your distaste with dealing with the people who are supposed to help. No one in my area wants to help, they want donations.

And you are right- life is good at the top, but down at the bottom, the floodwaters are rising.

[Donnachaidh]

6. that's the real galling point happening, isn't it?

I wonder what these groups are going to do when things start getting better, but the folks who were being treated like crap by THEM, even after donating in the past - and those folks don't donate anymore? Things are so hard for so many at the moment - I doubt anyone going through this will forget the embarrassment and the amount of groveling they have to go through just to survive.

Every year we donated clothes and money to the Salvation Army. NEVER AGAIN. I'll deliver the stuff to homeless shelters personally before they see anything from us again.

Even the local governments had better wake up to what is happening now. Many of them have cut services over the years, and now haven't budgeted to help the people who have paid taxes, and now need help. Our county mental health board is swamped with people just trying to deal with it all. And what does the county do? They cut hours even more. Is it cheaper to deal with actual suicides than to keep the doctors available for clients?

It's been a real lesson in survival. I'll help others who are in the same trouble, because it's the right thing to do. But we've had a real change in our attitudes, thanks to the continuing class warfare in this country.

[Hydra]

8. IMO

It's always better to help people directly. That way you know where what you are donating is going and how it's helping.

A friend of mine here at the bottom with me, a social work, and I have been talking about how we have to shift the notions in this country about how to help. We need to hire people who are good at it and train them well, and use our resources to fight poverty, because not only it is it the right thing to do, it cuts down on disease, crime and a host of other things. An investment in us. No more part time efforts or depending on volunteers. As Carlin said(paraphrasing), "Of course the Republicans support volunteer work! They've always wanted people to work for nothing!"

You're right about how things are being dealt with. It's a real question about how much we pay into the system vs. what we get. I don't get anything when they kill people in the Middle East. I don't get anything When Goldman gets corporate welfare.

[Donnachaidh]

9. you are so dead on the mark Hydra

There's been such a shift in the notion of *helping people* in this country. When I was a kid, my grandmother would join with other women from our church, and go visit the elderly members, and bring along perhaps not an entire meal (they didn't want to embarrass the elders too much) - but bring something that was a *treat*, something homemade, like a pie, or even a stew dish. And they did NOT only visit people from their own parish. If they were told about anyone in the area that needed a visit or help - they went. Didn't matter what color, what denomination - they went. No proselytizing, either.

Now -- giving to food banks for the most part in my area is actually *let's clean out the old canned goods from our pantry* -- get rid of the crap your own family wouldn't eat. I'm not saying all of them do that - but the majority do. And checking up on elders? Does NOT happen in my area. Hell, the parents in my son's preschool threw a fit when they learned one teacher wanted to take the kids to a nursing home for a visit. They felt their little spawn would be *traumatized* by seeing old people. Not one of them thought of the joy that visit would have brought to those elderly people.

People really need to start re-connecting with their humanity. These organizations are more interested in keeping their paychecks going, than doing the actual REAL work needed now.

[RBInMaine]

10. I know unemployed people are stressed, but how about organizing to lobby for healthcare?

I know people have limited time, but people can donate a little time to organizing and inundating the politicians in Washington with calls DEMANDING healthcare reform. If people are pissed, they need to organize to make things happen. This is what people did during the union movement of the Great Depression. Organize, organize, organize. That is the best and only hope. As to Obama, he has gotten stimulus, SCHIP, and is fighting like hell for public option healthcare. He is also fighting for the energy bill for the new green economy. He needs support. The man is trying.

[Wednesdays]

7. K&R

:kick: