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U.S. Jobless Rate Now 9.7%, but Millions Fear Losing Unemployment Insurance |
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The U.S. unemployment rate fell from 10 percent to 9.7 percent in January, with 14.8 million workers now without jobs. Employment continued to decrease in construction and transportation and increase in retail, health care and temp work, according to U.S. Department of Labor data out this morning. Unemployment among black workers continued to worsen.
When both unemployed and underemployed workers are counted, there still are 25.5 million people without jobs or full-time work.
As AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka says:
We welcome the news that unemployment dropped to 9.7%, but we shed another 20,000 jobs last month, following a revised 150,000 loss in December. These numbers underscore what we have been saying all along. Working families need bigger and bolder actions—in the short, medium and long term—to create jobs in the immediate future—or we risk permanent scarring of our economy and our workforce.
Among the worst aspects of the nation’s unacceptably high unemployment rate—and there are many—the growing numbers of long-term jobless workers is something that can, and must, be addressed immediately. Long-term U.S. unemployment (those without a job for 27 weeks or longer), with more than 6 million unemployed workers out of a job for more than six months. In January, the number of long-term unemployed workers worsened, to 6.3 million workers.
But the unemployment insurance (UI) extension for millions of workers expires Feb. 28, unless Congress—specifically, the Senate—takes action.
In December, the U.S. House passed a jobs bill that included a long-term UI and Cobra extension, but the U.S. Senate failed to act and Congress was forced to pass a short-term extension of both programs. (Click here to tell your lawmakers it’s time to act.)
According to National Employment Law Project estimates, of the nearly 1.2 million U.S. workers facing a cut off of benefits in March alone:
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380,000 workers will exhaust their 26 weeks of state benefits without accessing the temporary EUC extension program or the permanent federal program of Extended Benefits.
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Another 814,000 workers will not be eligible to continue receiving EUC past their current tier of benefits.
A one-year extension of unemployment insurance is part of our AFL-CIO five-point jobs program, and the Obama administration supports a long-term extension. But it’s unclear what shape a Senate jobs bill will take. Senate Republicans say they will oppose any jobs legislation on a scale large enough most economists say will do real good.
After all, why should those senators worry? They have a job. For now.
9 Comments
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I have been unemployed in Texas since October of 2009 and just confirmed with the TWC that I cannot receive the Federal Unemployment funds because my Texas funds will have $30 remaining in the balance on the Feb. 21st……this seems like a bad joke. Because of the $30 remaining I will not receive ANY of the federally funded unemployment. which would at least given me another 20 weeks. Hope republicans get their hands out of their pants and vote YES for the extension or I have lost all faith in this country.
Go to your local UI office and get an official detemination,in other words file for the extension,get the determination and if it is not in your favor,file an appeal so a judge can explain the states case.I think everything will come out to your benefit,but you have to stay on them.
There plan is to discourage you from taking any further steps by using misinformation deliberately
Tell us how you make out
Indeed. However, if we would organize the un-employed, we would have a community of workers who need to make a living. Workers are workers whether they are working or not. We are abandaning them. Even a web site for us would help. Something!
I believe I have found a way to get in touch with all sixteen million. I did it once years ago, on a smaller scale, but the principle is the same. Seems it’s not good strategy to just wait until workers are re-organized and start paying dues again.
Organizing the unemployed is a great idea, PFL. “Workers are workers whether they are working or not.” Completely agree with ya.
Progress for Labor: somebody already has.
If you Google the term ‘unemployed’, the first hit is this:
http://www.unemployedworkers.org
are there any stats on unemployment for people with disabilities? years ago one could go to heavy industry and get employment,now many of us are better collecting benefits due to lowwage,and unskilled jobs
9.7 percent are the ones collecting unemployment. how about the other 10 percent that have run out of benefits=almost 20 percent. obama lies
While Congress extending unemployment deadlines is a good thing, that alone will not solve any problems for the long-term unemployed. Congress can say “we’ll extend the deadlines until December”, yet someone who can move onto Tier 4 benefits, with only 6 weeks, will end up falling through the cracks even though the deadline is extended. The current EUC tier system needs to be revised as well. For example, my suggestion would be to increase benefit weeks to Tier 3 (13 weeks) and Tier 4 (6 weeks). Make each of these tiers 20 weeks of benefits. That would provide an additional 21 weeks total of benefits, or 5 months worth. Adding a 5th tier could also be an option as well, but extending deadlines doesn’t really help the long-term unemployed folks.
They said there was nothing I could……but be hopeful that congress passes the bill that has an unemployment benefits extension which they said is likely…..love waiting to the last minute to see if I will have money to pay rent or have food to eat!!!!!