An Undiscussed Subsidiary Benefit Of Extending Unemployment Benefits

[DemocratSinceBirth]

And, imho, the unspoken reason, most misanthropic Republican, (that's redundant but I digress) oppose them. Unemployment insurance acts as a floor on wages. As long as unemployed workers have some albeit extremely limited form of sustenance in the form of unemployment insurance they can hold out, at least for awhile, for a job commensurate with their skills, education, and work experience. In the absence of such benefits they would have to take whatever job is available. This further depresses wages and turns workers into wage slaves.

Like Dr. King I believe all work is ennobling whether you clean streets for a living or are working on a cure for cancer but let's at least try to pay folks a living wage.

[dkf]

1. Yeah my brother's friend refused to consider a job that paid less than 100k until

his unemployment finally ran out after he became a 99er. Then he got a job offer at Pottery Barn but he decided to do some under the table work instead. Goodness knows how that will turn out.

[Honeycombe8]

2. Is that for real? Or a joke? nt

[dkf]

6. True story.

My brother thinks his friend is an idiot.

The guy does have a nice degree though, and when he was working he was at some great tech firms making some good money. I think he is living off his retirement funds and the rent is controlled so he has a great deal. He still manages to get cable HDTV, Internet and iPhone subscription and his girlfriend pays for half.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

8. Navigating This Economic Mess Is Hard

I realize some jobs are never coming back. My friend is a contractor here in Florida. Florida, California, and Nevada are the epicenter of the destruction of the contruction/real estate industry. He was out of work for nine months. He finally found something nearly as good as the job he lost. During those nine months if he got an offer it was a low ball offer which would have permanently lower his and his family's standard of living. Those extra months help.

I pity the 99ers.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

4. I Am Sorry About Your Brother's Plight

I would think a person in his position would try to find a position as close to the position he lost. I agree it's difficult but having ninety nine weeks instead of twenty six weeks help. It's just common sense.

No matter how you look at it the longer a person has to look for a job the more leverage that person has.

[dkf]

7. It's my brothers friend...

I feel bad for the guy too because he did mention that the situation has been depressing him. All that rejection isn't good for anyone.

But a bunch of their friends are of the attitude that if he had tried temping and lowered his sights he would have found something by now. In my brother's circle of friends a bunch got laid off but they all found something except for this guy so they don't have as much sympathy for his job hunting methods and are kind of exasperated with him.

[Pholus]

3. Great, but when we revisit this next year and the misanthropic Republicans do "No, part Deux"....

What are we going to HAVE to give them.

I completely agree with your sentiments about unemployment insurance though I kind of feel like other un-addressed factors are also turning us into wage slaves. Like the deficit we just blew up yet again which will be used to club us into submission sometime next year.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

5. I Don't Have The Answers .

I was thinking about the suggestion that folks should "take whatever job is available" which usually means becoming a sandwich artist at Subway. If the folks who feel that way really have the courage of their convictions they should agitate/petition to close all the colleges because educating ones self is a waste of time. They can then use the money they saved to invade more sovereign nations.