A while back we wrote about a recent statement made by an economist that unemployment extension benefits could discourage job hunting. The opinion made by Jeffrey Miron, an economist from Harvard University, enraged a lot of our readers who are mostly 99ers hoping for a Tier 5 unemployment compensation bill.
Recently, we came across an article by the Wall Street Journal that cite generous unemployment extension benefits as one of the reasons why some employers are having a hard time filling certain jobs despite having large pools of applicants. Both stories (Miron’s statement and the WSJ article) came on the heels of Senator Debbie Stabenow’s (D-MI) filing of the Tier 5 “Americans Want to Work Act” (S.3706), which is aimed at extending benefits for 99ers – those who have expended the maximum 99 weeks of federal unemployment benefits.
The WSJ article cited several factors as to why some companies are struggling to hire despite high unemployment – factors like structural unemployment, post-recession industry changes, inadequate technical education and people reluctant to leave their current address to search for better opportunities elsewhere. There is one other factor mentioned that is of interest to 99ers and advocates of Senator Stabenow’s Tier 5 bill – unemployment extension benefits.
The Journal said “Extending jobless benefits to 99 weeks gives the unemployed less incentive to search out new work.” The statement echoes the sentiments of those opposing the Tier 5 unemployment extension bill for 99ers. The report cited the case of Mark Sperry, part owner of Mechanical Devices a company which supplies parts for heavy equipment manufacturers. Sperry, who has been looking for a $13 per-hour machinist since the start of the year, sees unemployment extension benefits as one of the main reasons behind his business’ hiring woes. The applicants he saw at job fairs, he said, “were just going through the motions so they could collect their unemployment checks.”
The report also cited the anecdotal story of Michael Hatchell, a 52-year old mechanic from Lumberton, N.C. Hatchell is not a 99er but, has been unemployed for 59 weeks. The report said he turned down more than a dozen offers “because they didn’t pay more than the $450 a week he was collecting in benefits.” One company Hatchell said, “offered him $7.75 an hour, which amounts to only $310 a week for 40 hours.”
The WSJ report did mention that unemployment extension benefits “can’t explain the whole problem.” It pointed out that “Researchers at the Federal Reserve have estimated that the benefits could account for between 0.4 and 1.7 percentage points of the unemployment rate.” The Journal also mentioned other possible factors: “Millions of homeowners are unable to move for a job because the real-estate collapse leaves them owing more on their homes than they are worth.” It also mentioned, “The job market itself also has changed… companies slashed millions of middle-skill, middle-wage jobs. That has created a glut of people who can’t qualify for highly skilled jobs but have a hard time adjusting to low-pay, unskilled work like the food servers that Pilot Flying J seeks for its truck stops.”
Senator Stabenow’s S.3706 Tier 5 unemployment extension bill for 99ers is expected to be taken up by the Senate in September. In the meantime, the views made by Miron and the Journal are quickly shaping the debate on the proposed “Americans Want to Work Act.”
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I’ll be kicked out of my apartment by September. It will be getting cold in October. Any suggestions.
What the hell are you supposed to use for money while you move or go back to school or go anywhere or do anything. Once the unemployment is gone that is it. What is so f**king hard to understand about that?
do you have a job?
Once the unemployment is gone.. what are people supposed to use for money? To move or to go get more education? Are these people living in a dream land? Once the money is gone there is nothing.. don’t they get it?
In order to understand our government. We must consider the powers that be being a 99er. I believed that President Obama would hold true to his promise. Nevertheless, having seen jobs by the millions being outsourced by Corporate America downsizing, greed and complasive CEO’s and politicians. This makes me often wonder. Give Me Liberty OR Give Me Death!!!!!
My fellow 99er’s our Government has signed a proclamation to our DEATH!! Moreover, as we all know our government has formally delivered its dilapidated propaganda of the American dream. However, the 99er’s are the forsaken and foregotten. Our Government commanded the 99er’s to march forward into despair because there are no jobs for us to bear.
In other words by excluding the 99er’s from the HR4213 bill. We are forced to leave behind the loves ones we once cherished, family heirlooms and treasures of what may have been. Because as a man you feel that you can no longer support their needs or hearts.
“A man without a Job” is like a man that does not exist!! And without the HR4213 bill extension the 99er’s will not exist!!! But let me say this! My fellow 99’ers. The way congress thinks today is; let’s roll the dice!!! The 99’ers are not important; “let the chips fall as they may” As they did with the 911 responders.
The Banks and Wall Street are doing business as usual reporting high earnings; High credit card interest rates. Foreclosure’s for the month of June 2010 was 1.5 million!! I’m a true believer in GOD. But I often pray and wonder about my future in America today, the land of equality freedom and liberty.
Again; Mr. President, Congress, Senator’s. You give the 99er’s an executive order. As forgotten bewildered and broken soldiers. We command congress to an extension to liberty justice in the name of survival!!
Rescue the 99er’s from the depths of despair, suicide, homeless and wondering aimlessly in a barren jobless land; for it is your duty as men not leaders to obey and command your OATH! To protect serve your fellow citizen’s without discrimination or malice.
I hereby command all 99er’s to converge on Washington D.C. on 9/11/2010 in the name of survival and not to sit back as peasants to your own execution. Remember your voice and vote counts. Let Washington hear us as well…. Send your voices, thoughts, concerns and hearts. Yes We Will And Yes We CAN!!!!!
Regards, R
Is anyone suprised that the WSJ would publish an article like this one? After all, wasn’t their readership base partly responsible for putting us in this mess in the first place? All I can say is the WSJ saying that unemployment benefits discourage workers from looking for work is like saying the American Journal of Medicine shouldn’t allow aspirin because it might discourage headaches.
I have always believed that the people who cry the loudest are the ones who have a job. They fear we are just taking advantage of the system. Well hey wake up and smell the crap you are shoveling, a lot have worked for 25 years plus and to get just 99 weeks of benefits, well thats pathetic!!
They will use every imaginable excuse to bury the 99ers…Unemployment is at 9.5 and has been there forever it seems …they just don’t want to feel guilty for their actions or non-actions in this case …We are going to have to march and be heard or else …Do the politicians truly believe that people are going to lose everything including their families and loved ones without a fight ?
What is the 99ers surpose to do we have work all of our life. And stand to lose every thing we’ve work for all of our life, I don’t understand what the problem is.Do we has to lose every-thing we have and become homeless before someone step up,can we come and live with you? All we need is A LITTLE HELP. There are no jobs out there
I look for a job every-day and are told the same we’er not hiring at this time.
All these articles and economists are bullsh-t. The Democrats better grow some balls and ram this tier 5 extension down the republicans throats as soon as they get back in September or they’ll be out in November.
They should have grown some when they were discussing unemployment in the first place and done something about it when everyone were present! Instead, they throw this damn bone out here and do nothing with it! All of them need to go in November! They play us for stupid? Well lets show them how smart we really are. We’re not stupid, just unemployed!
Well,if someone would hire me I wouldn’t need unemployment. Are people suppose to lose everything! Does this person understands how it feels to live like this? I don’t think so. Companies have to hire and the government has to work on ways of encouraging companies to hire. Tax breaks, incentives. Whatever it takes to get this Country up and running again. I just love people like this who talk the talk but never walked the walk.
Wall Street and Banks cried loud enough and got their bailout money from their Friendly Career Polititions looking out for their wealthy buddies. Do you believe everything the WSJ and Harvard’s Mr. Moron tell the media. Hell NO!!
These people need to experiance what 99er’s are experiancing. Instead of printing their propaganda they need to live with a 99er family until Congress resumes and then report their findings.
Well Mr. Miron and WSJ Executives are you up to the challenge???????????????????????????
As I read the WSJ article, it just reminds me of what is wrong with this unemployment issue. Mark Sperry stated he could not hire a machinist for $13 an hour. Is that the going rate for a machinist? Only an experienced machinist would know and if he is not get a lot of people jumping at the opportunity, then obviously that is not a competitive rate. We are unemployed, not stupid. Being unemployed has not affected our ability to effectively close a deal that will allow us to survive. If companies would offer jobs at respectable (or halfway decent) salaries, people would be more inclined to give up unemployment. Case in point, I had a very good accounting job, but now I work part time for the government. I get a small but decent salary, but most important a future and a fresh start. That is what people need, not a dead end minimum wage job that does not cover the bills.
This money would not take the place of the job I want and sorely need. It would however, do what it’s intended to do, help provide the BASIC necessities to aid me in my search. Say like a roof, food, gas, utilities, insurance, etc. Hello ELECTED officials? Ain’t gonna get a taste of the american dream collecting unemployment.
I wish they would just create more jobs so people won’t have to choose between food or paying there rent………………..
Pretty pathetic isn’t it…
Let me tell you something folks. This recession (and high unemployment) is projected to last up to and including 2015. I project tiers in the double digits before it’s all over, if ever. The harsh reality is it’s a bad situation (regardless of it’s origin), it’s not going away anytime soon and our elected officials and the american people will have to deal with it. In the interim, pass tier 5 and continue discussions on how to best handle (fund) long-term unemployment before it get to this point (again).
F**k Jeffery Miron, and the MSJ. Oh yea f**k you to Mark Sperry.
Without tier 5, I can’t afford to look for a job. Without that measly amount I can barely afford to eat. Yet I used it to get to interview to interview. Even though I’m going to be told I over qualified.
Another thing. If these got damn employers stop the lowballing. Then nobody would have to sit out and wait for a better paying opportunity.
Mark Sperry, part owner of a bullshit low paying Mechanical Devices a company which supplies parts for heavy equipment manufacturers. Sperry, who has been looking for a $13 per-hour machinist since the start of the year, sees unemployment extension benefits as one of the main reasons behind his business’ hiring woes.
Hey Sperry. It’s not the unemployment that’s hurting u. It’s your got damn low paying as wage. Keep your f**king mouth shut if your not trying to help the situation. F**in kook.
Well I see there are still a bunch of retards trying to discredit over 4 million 99ers by the actions of a few. My QUESTION is if you know about people scamming the system why not turn them in ???
Well you want do that because that does not make good news for the retarded GOP. It sounds better to sit back and just bitch about it, if there are that many jobs out there then contact the over 4 million 99ers and let them work. You want do that because as a whole you know all that bullshyt you are pitching is a lie.
I’m sure all the people that killed themselves thought, wow I passed up a job just so I can kill my whole family. It’s sad that you claim you are up on the currant affairs but when was the last time you talked to a real 99er that has done without for over 8 months ??? You have not because that does not make good news for the GOP, you just sit back in your cushy offices and wait for someone other than yourself that will bitch about us 99ers.
Ask a real 99ers that does not have money for gas, or may not even have there car anymore, or no internet, so what do we do who is going to finance a trip across the U.S. to take a job somewhere else, you. Hell know you want because that does not make good GOP news either.
All you GOP’s are like a damn broken record, you do and say the same ole crap from your little cushy offices and have no real proof and if by some luck you do, you don’t act on it because then what would you have to bitch about. You uninformed fukers make me sick with all your stupid ass bullshyt. Get a fuking life or do something to help besides bitch about nothing.
I have tried to turn in two people I know who hold steady jobs and collecting unemployment. I was told in not so many words to mind my own buisness by the unemployment office. One of the guys is a foreman of a drywall company. The unemployment office told me he might be allowed to make that much and qualify for benefits. HE IS A FN FOREMAN AND IS COLLECTING $500 A WEEK OF UI! His son is doing the same.
“The report also cited the anecdotal story of Michael Hatchell, a 52-year old mechanic from Lumberton, N.C. Hatchell is not a 99er but, has been unemployed for 59 weeks. The report said he turned down more than a dozen offers “because they didn’t pay more than the $450 a week he was collecting in benefits.”
One company Hatchell said, “offered him $7.75 an hour, which amounts to only $310 a week for 40 hours.”– Each person should know what kind of hourly wage it would take to maintain his or her household.
This is why I dislike the arguments about “taking anything that comes along”. In the case of getting $7.75/hour for a job, at 40 hours, that comes out to $310 gross before all taxes are removed. Depending on where you live, and your state’s tax base, that $310 gross becomes about $250 a week. In my case, a wage like that would put me on the fast track to living in my car. So I could see some sense in waiting when a company isn’t paying what you need to maintain your basic household necessities.
If you read your UI qualifications they discourage you to take a job that pays less than your UI. UI payments are almost impossible to survive on much less a job that pays even less. What sense would that make
Did Washington look for this many reasons not to act when they plundered the taxpayers coffers to bail out their buddies on Wall Street? Did they consider the consequences they might face if some of the big banks took a fall? (Some may have even pumped funds into failing banks, in order to keep their names out of the fall out, should the failures be investigated).
Continuing to over analyze this mess just makes things worse. If these economists are so damn smart to begin with, why can’t they come up with a decision?
THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE: THESE BANDITS ARE STILL AFRAID OF THEIR OWN SHADOW!
Here’s a couple more thoughts to wear out your pencils with:
*Who is going to pay to bury us when we starve to death?
*Where will they hide when we have had enough and anarchy enters the picture?
*Where are we going to find enough rope when these idiots finally run out of lame questions, when the answer was in the eyes of their constituants?
its ok because were going to put every republican on the unemployment line. one #@#%$#@ a time.
man can not live buy bread alone but buy hearing the word of god his word is forever seek him first and he will meet all your needs I hope and prey god does the right thing for our country and people who are in need at this time.GOD BLESS AMERICA RIGHT NOW IN JESUS NAME AMEN.
These people are a wasted of our time. They don’t have a clue and are really stupid trying to suggest or explain something they know nothing about. Shut the F**k-up WSJ and the idiot from Harvard who really should be teach grade school.Go back to your little fantasy world and leave the real world to the ones who live in it.Someone should do a reality show and take these fat-ass executives,Senators and stupid teachers, take their fat wallets away for 6 months and make them go out and look for jobs. Put them in a place where they are 3 months behind in their rent and will get evicted if they don’t come up with the cash in a week.Give them minimum food, not the big ass feast they are so use to having and clothes from the salvation army.Because they are the weak people of this world they would kill themselves.
It’s easy for WSJ or a talking head to say these ridiculous things. The unemployed are alone, unorganized and POOR. Most think the reason they are still unemployed has to do with them and not the companies that dumped them.
WSJ readers have their own reality. They have jobs. They can even afford a luxury like paying for the WSJ (although, their company probably pays for it).
It is pointless to go into stories of having Master’s degrees, decades of experience or thousands of resumes sent. Congress has pushed the unemployed off a cliff and they just don’t care. Wait till they start campaigning and telling us what a wonderful job they’ve done. You won’t hear a single Republican talk about unemployment. They will talk about extending the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy.
And thesse Democrats are so weak and stupid! None of then have a damn backbone to do anything. At least Pelosi did do something! Obama is hiding as usual and these idiots introduce a bill and just leave! If they loose, it’s their own damn fault because I will not vote for any incumbent!
And another thing. Why is this weakling letting the Republicans define who he is? You don’t let ANYONE define who YOU are! You define who You are and that is why his damn poll numbers are down!
There was a recently released video of a woman going off at a McDonalds over them not selling her chicken nuggets because it was still breakfast time. She was later reported to have been drunk at the time. The thing is you CANNOT get drunk in the morning like that if you have a job. Because if you show up to work that drunk, they will smell it on you and you’ll get fired. She is obviously unemployed and possibly a 99er. She’s from Ohio where the unemployment rate is 10%+. What do you all think?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/10/mcnugget-fight-mcdonalds_n_677415.html
We need someone like her on the 99er list! At least she has the balls to do something when she feel somebody is screwing her over. Would love to see her at a 99er rally when a republican says no to her UI extension. Bet she dont write no letter.
How long are you Americans going to keep taking the congress for their word. Does not anything sink in?
Check out some simple conclusions.
When to economy took a dump and many of you lost your American dreams. Remember that one, you know when they told you that wall street and Fanny May and freddie mack or whoeverver they are (BIG BANKERS) caused the economy to fall apart.
What did the American Government do?
They gave them a bail out.
A bail out of billions of your money.
They in tern gave their friends bonuses with your money.
What did the American People get from it ?
Devastational loss of employment due to the domino effect when big corps went under and shut down other major parts of the employment sectors.
These Millions of Jobs just did not come back up there are still millions of these same americans out of work because of GOVERNMENT BANKS AND LIES, DECIET, America was robbed and left devastated in shock , so you and everyone else would not understand at that moment YOU HAD JUST BEEN HIGH JACKED BY YOUR OWN GOVERNMENT..
If you do not understand this ask yourself this one thing, why did the UNITED STATED GOVERNMENT ALLOW THE FEDERAL RESERVE TO PASS OUT TRILLIONS OF YOUR DOLLARS AND YOUR CHILDRENS DOLLARS TO THE VERY PEOPLE WHO CAUSED THE PROBLEM TO BEIGIN WITH?
ALSO I HOPE ALL YOU ENJOY YOUR BIG CHANGES IN AMERICA FROM YOUR NEW PRESEDENT OBAMA.
when will America wake up?
Every single American citizen should get a bail out from these crooks who stole your children’s future.
The bail out total is 8 trillion dollars,
That is 8 with 12 zeros.
8,000,000,000,000
Divide that by the American population being every man, woman, and child
The amount that could have been distributed to each would be around 25,000.
Now you tell me would that have created jobs? Would that have stimulated the economy?
Would it have dropped the number of murders and robberies and thefts.?
America is headed for disaster if they don’t get their head out of the main stream media arse
So here we are those who must beg our government to give us back just a piece of our freedom, for a short time until they do it again.
Just the fact that the federal reserve can do what ever they want, give out as much money of yours as they want to the very ones that caused this problem should make you ask yourself what is going wrong. Then it is a debt our children are gong to be paying for the next 150 years.
It is about time that the American people get paid off for the big wall street and banker defaults. It is time to let the wealth of this country back to the citizens and let those who are supposed to be our secretary get paid less in nothing at all. There are thousands of people who would make greater presidents and would not take a dime for it. That is what this country is founded on the people are the government.
That is not so today, the American government has been high jacked.
Hmmmm! Wall Street, right?. In New york City, right?. Wasn’t there just a big bailout of Wall Street firms, at the taxpayers expense, and didn’t the executives of these firms recently get huge huge bonuses that we 99′ers could only dream about, and laughed in Mr. OBAMA’s face and told that these bonuses were contractual, before the bailout. Am I losing my mind along with everything else?
Sadly enough, things are never going to change, I GIVE UP!!!!!
What if the taxpayers of this country banded together and cut the salaries of members of congress to about 1/10th of what they are making now, with no provision for pensions and make them pay for their own health coverage. Also, limit terms to 6 yrs. That would at least end the “SLEEPING SENATOR” syndrom that we have seen in the past. Also take away the State dinners and chauffer driven limos and free plane rides. Who do you think would run for office then? And while I’m on the subject, before I get booted off, I was under the impression that Unemployment Compensation was fully funded by an employer tax for the first 26 weeks, then by federal tax money. So in effect it is our tax money that we are getting back? Correct?
OBOMUNISSM At Work !!!!!!
Change We Can’t Count On
Screw Wall Street, they already got bailed out with OUR Money, and have not repayed it. If we did get a Tier 5, we still pay taxes on that, instead of trying to avoid paying taxes like most on Wall Street do.
Guess what Wall street, you and your ilk are going to fail again, and we will NOT bail you out next time. so all you greedy lowlife cowards go on home, enjoy what you have no, for tomorrow , it may all be gone, including your loved ones who will abandon you because you are such a pig
People are not going to work for minimum wage jobs when their skill level is much higher. No one is expecting to automatically land a job that is at their past salary/per hour figure, but they won’t let employers just work the glut of labor on the market and pay people below competitive wages. The unemployment extensions just keep employers of taking advantage of market conditions, but conservative media complains that people are lazy and unemployment benefits reinforce a sense of “entitlement” or not taking what’s offered. Definitely a double standard which the under and unemployed see through.
My husband has been unemployed for over a year. He is constantly applying for jobs and going on interviews. He is ASE certified and experienced. But the companies want to hire the young, unexperienced kids out of school for less money. What concerns me is the slashing of middle-class jobs in this country. Either your a high level executive or a very low level worker. Maybe we should all move to India or China where our mid-level jobs got shipped off to. But they don’t hire American’s. To help resolve this issue we need to bring those jobs back to the USA.
Thousands of unemployed people will become homeless while those assholes take another vacation. Congress is only in session for 137 the entire year. They’re taking a five week vacation now and not one of those fuckers stood up and said, “Hey, let’s postpone our vacation until we’ve passed this legislation. The American people need our help now, dammit!” What a bunch of worthless dipshits. Enjoy yet another vacation, you filthy fucking animal fuckers. Btw, I have a job, so that’s not why I’m writing this comment…getting ready for work now. I’m just sick of our government putting its people last. They bail out large corporations, send billions to places like Hati and Pakistan but act like it’s killing them to help fellow Americans they drove into the unemployment line. I hope you all get testicular or breast cancer, fuck off hoes.