Unemployment Benefits Extension Moves to Senate
The U.S. Senate is expected to act by the end of this week on a bill approved by the House yesterday that will provide an added 13 weeks of unemployment insurance (UI) benefits for jobless workers in high unemployment states who have exhausted their benefits without finding new work.
H.R. 3548, introduced by Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.), passed 331-83, with 66 Republicans and 17 Democrats opposing the measure, which will extend benefits in states where unemployment is more than 8.5 percent.
The official unemployment rate stands at 9.7 percent and is expected to top 10 percent in the coming months. There are six jobless workers for every job that is open.
Congress Moves to Extend Unemployment Insurance to Hard-Hit States
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There are six jobless workers for every job that is open. The official unemployment rate stands at 9.7 percent and is expected to top 10 percent in the coming months. By the end of this month, some 400,000 workers will run out of unemployment insurance (UI) benefits—another 1 million by the end of the year.
Tomorrow, the U.S. House of Representatives is expected to throw a lifeline to many workers due to exhaust their UI benefits before finding new work. Legislation to provide an additional 13 weeks of benefits to workers in high unemployment states is likely to win approval, and the Senate could take it up later this week.
Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.), who introduced the bill (H.R. 3548), says the added weeks of benefits will help
hundreds of thousands of Americans who lost their jobs through no fault of their own in this so-called Great Recession.
