Unemployment insurance

[byu71]

I really vascillate back and forth on this one.

I know people who get in a tough situation and I am glad they have the unemployment checks to get them by. They get out there and do there best to find employment and in a deep recession there just isn't a job.

On the other hand I know some who really are in no hurry to find a job. They may be able to get one, but it will be a 20-40% cut in pay from their previous job and they get almost that with their unemployment check.

I don't know what percentage of people are in the situation described in the first paragraph or those in the second paragraph.

While unemployment probably not only helps the individual, it probably keeps the economy from tipping over into even worse shape. However, maybe after 52 weeks, 75, weeks, 99 weeks at some point it isn't healthy for the economy.

[Mormon Red Death]

I really vascillate back and forth on this one.

I know people who get in a tough situation and I am glad they have the unemployment checks to get them by. They get out there and do there best to find employment and in a deep recession there just isn't a job.

On the other hand I know some who really are in no hurry to find a job. They may be able to get one, but it will be a 20-40% cut in pay from their previous job and they get almost that with their unemployment check.

I don't know what percentage of people are in the situation described in the first paragraph or those in the second paragraph.

While unemployment probably not only helps the individual, it probably keeps the economy from tipping over into even worse shape. However, maybe after 52 weeks, 75, weeks, 99 weeks at some point it isn't healthy for the economy.

having gone through the unemployment process (though thankfully only a short period of time) I can say that actually getting a check from the government is a gigantic hassle. they do a lot to make sure you are looking for work. not to mention the pay is $10/hr

[Uncle Ted]

I really vascillate back and forth on this one.

I know people who get in a tough situation and I am glad they have the unemployment checks to get them by. They get out there and do there best to find employment and in a deep recession there just isn't a job.

On the other hand I know some who really are in no hurry to find a job. They may be able to get one, but it will be a 20-40% cut in pay from their previous job and they get almost that with their unemployment check.

I don't know what percentage of people are in the situation described in the first paragraph or those in the second paragraph.

While unemployment probably not only helps the individual, it probably keeps the economy from tipping over into even worse shape. However, maybe after 52 weeks, 75, weeks, 99 weeks at some point it isn't healthy for the economy.

Unemployment insurance can promote unemployment.

From Adam Smith on, economists have based their theories on the basic concept that people respond to incentives. If you reduce the cost of something people will choose more of it. If you increase the costs, people will choose less of it. There is little debate in the profession about the truth of this hypothesis.

So if we apply this to unemployment, it ought to be clear that if we reduce the cost of becoming or remaining unemployed, then we will have greater unemployment. This is not rocket science by any means. Suppose that unemployment benefits were $6000 per week and lasted indefinitely. Is there little doubt that most of us would choose unemployment?

Why work when you can earn $60,700/year and drive a Mercedes?

[Surfah]

Why work when you can earn $60,700/year and drive a Mercedes?

That article is disgusting.

My feelings on this are pretty well documented. I will only add that in 4 months of employment I have nearly paid back in taxes what I received in 6 months of unemployment. And I am happy to do so. But I am about ready to call it even.

[byu71]

That article is disgusting.

My feelings on this are pretty well documented. I will only add that in 4 months of employment I have nearly paid back in taxes what I received in 6 months of unemployment. And I am happy to do so. But I am about ready to call it even.

You fit into my paragraph 1. Those that fit in paragrahp one are the positive side of unemployment.

[Uncle Ted]

That article is disgusting.

Is the article disgusting because these people work the system or because the young boy sitting on the mother's lap looks like he has been abused? Or both?

My feelings on this are pretty well documented. I will only add that in 4 months of employment I have nearly paid back in taxes what I received in 6 months of unemployment. And I am happy to do so. But I am about ready to call it even.

I think I would rather have the option of being able to either buy unemployment insurance (unemployment/FUTA) or be able to save/invest what my employer would pay for unemployment (6.2%?) myself. I would most likely go for the latter. The same for social security.

[Surfah]

Is the article disgusting because these people work the system or because the young boy sitting on the mother's lap looks like he has been abused? Or both?

I think I would rather have the option of being able to either buy unemployment insurance (unemployment/FUTA) or be able to save/invest what my employer would pay for unemployment (6.2%?) myself. I would most likely go for the latter. The same for social security.

I think that boy must have been the one mentioned in the article that has the severe skin disorder. So I feel sorry for him. Actually I feel sorry for all those children who won't learn the value of hardwork. That system is disgusting. And the mother's sense of entitlement is disgusting.

And I am with you on the last point as well.

[Mrs. Funk]

I have an uncle who has been collecting unemployment for almost three years now after he was laid-off. He has no reason he can't work. He's physically and mentally able and has a bachelor's degree. This uncle worked at WinCo during school to pay for bills, and I suggested he could try applying there again. His wife said, "C'mon. He has a degree now? Isn't that a little beneath him?"

Sigh.

So Uncle _____ sits at home playing video games. He has some far-fetched desire to be in politics, but not nearly enough drive or ambition or the "It Factor" to make that happen it seems. From what I can tell, he hasn't actively sought employment the entire time.

[frank ryan]

Being the scummy bleeding heart liberal I am, I support unemployment insurance and I'm not terribly bothered by the extentions. But what does get to me is how or at least loosely enforced the job searching rules are. The UC should help them out while they are hitting pavement and looking for work. What burns me is how some formerly afluent folks are unwilling to take the proverbial shitty job. Isn't any job better than no job?

I really vascillate back and forth on this one.

I know people who get in a tough situation and I am glad they have the unemployment checks to get them by. They get out there and do there best to find employment and in a deep recession there just isn't a job.

On the other hand I know some who really are in no hurry to find a job. They may be able to get one, but it will be a 20-40% cut in pay from their previous job and they get almost that with their unemployment check.

I don't know what percentage of people are in the situation described in the first paragraph or those in the second paragraph.

While unemployment probably not only helps the individual, it probably keeps the economy from tipping over into even worse shape. However, maybe after 52 weeks, 75, weeks, 99 weeks at some point it isn't healthy for the economy.

[smokymountainrain]

On the other hand I know some who really are in no hurry to find a job. They may be able to get one, but it will be a 20-40% cut in pay from their previous job and they get almost that with their unemployment check.

I will say this - when you have a mortgage to pay and a wife and kids to feed, you'd better think long and hard before you take a job paying less than what you're getting from unemployment.

[byu71]

I will say this - when you have a mortgage to pay and a wife and kids to feed, you'd better think long and hard before you take a job paying less than what you're getting from unemployment.

I agree with that, especially if we are talking the first year or even 18 months. However, at some point we all have to bite the bullet and do what we have to do to rebuild.

In '09 my income took a hit. Down about 30%. Even now it is probably off 20% from prior to '08. I wonder if you think I should get some kind of government subsidy to take my income back up to pre-recession levels because of the house payment I have and other responsibilities.

[Uncle Ted]

Being the scummy bleeding heart liberal I am, I support unemployment insurance and I'm not terribly bothered by the extentions. But what does get to me is how or at least loosely enforced the job searching rules are. The UC should help them out while they are hitting pavement and looking for work. What burns me is how some formerly afluent folks are unwilling to take the proverbial shitty job. Isn't any job better than no job?

No... if the shitty job is only going to pay me marginally more (or even less) than what I am getting from unemployment then I would would be inclined to not take the job. I would rather use the unemployment insurance payments to help me bootstrap my own small business: say, write iPhone apps or some other software as a freelance. Now if I didn't have unemployment insurance payments I would be very inclined to take the shitty job to feed my family.

As for extending unemployment payments this is really starting to strap the states. I read recently that 32 states are borrowing about $40B from the federal government to make unemployment payments and most likely won't be paying it back. If your state is not one of the 32 then let me say thanks for helping my state out.

[frank ryan]

No... if the shitty job is only going to pay me marginally more (or even less) than what I am getting from unemployment then I would would be inclined to not take the job. I would rather use the unemployment insurance payments to help me bootstrap my own small business: say, write iPhone apps or some other software as a freelance. Now if I didn't have unemployment insurance payments I would be very inclined to take the shitty job to feed my family.

As for extending unemployment payments this is really starting to strap the states. I read recently that 32 states are borrowing about $40B from the federal government to make unemployment payments and most likely won't be paying it back. If your state is not one of the 32 then let me say thanks for helping my state out.

You would need to report your earnings to unemployment, so they would take a chunk out of your check

[Uncle Ted]

You would need to report your earnings to unemployment, so they would take a chunk out of your check

While in the development stage (e.g. coding up the latest iPhone app) there would be no earnings to report.

[smokymountainrain]

I agree with that, especially if we are talking the first year or even 18 months. However, at some point we all have to bite the bullet and do what we have to do to rebuild.

In '09 my income took a hit. Down about 30%. Even now it is probably off 20% from prior to '08. I wonder if you think I should get some kind of government subsidy to take my income back up to pre-recession levels because of the house payment I have and other responsibilities.

No, I don't. Just like I don't think I should get anything from the government right now for making half of what I was making in '08.