Very bad news for unemployed Americans who are running out of benefits:
Tens of thousands of workers have already used up their benefits, and the numbers are expected to soar in the months to come, reaching half a million by the end of September and 1.5 million by the end of the year, according to new projections by the National Employment Law Project, a private research group.Two things about this article: 1) Just today, Obama said that while things were looking better, there's still trouble on the jobs front, "when we receive our monthly job report next week, it is likely to show that we are continuing to lose far too many jobs in this country. As far as I’m concerned, we will not have a recovery as long as we keep losing jobs. And I won’t rest until every American who wants a job can find one." Okay. The president expects job losses to increase, which I would think also means people who are looking for jobs will have a hard time finding them.
Unemployment insurance is now a lifeline for nine million Americans, with payments averaging just over $300 per week, varying by state and work history. While many recipients find new jobs before exhausting their benefits, large numbers in the current recession have been unable to find work for a year or more.
Calls are rising for Congress to pass yet another extension this fall, possibly adding 13 more weeks of coverage in states with especially high unemployment. As of June, the national unemployment rate was 9.5 percent, reaching 15.2 percent in Michigan. Even if the recession begins to ease, economists say, jobs will remain scarce for some time to come.
2) We found out on Thursday night, "Cash for clunkers" was in trouble. By Friday afternoon, the U.S. House had passed a bill for more money. It shows Congress can act fast when it has to act fact.
This isn't about cars. It's about people being able to feed their kids. We're in a crisis. Obama and Congress need to act fast.
