Legislation sponsored by Assembly Democrats Joseph Egan, Daniel Benson and Wayne DeAngelo to take advantage of a federal law that allows laid-off workers in New Jersey to continue to receive extended unemployment benefits for much, if not all, of 2011, was unanimously released Monday by an Assembly panel.
The bill (A-3795) implements an option provided by the federal Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 to allow the extended benefits.
The federal option makes it likely that extended benefits will be continued, because the unemployment rate in New Jersey would have to be no more than 110% of the 2008 jobless rates of between 4.2 percent to 6.0 percent, far below the current rate of 9.1 percent.
“Ensuring continued assistance for out-of-work New Jerseyans is an absolute must,” said Egan (D-Middlesex). “This an important step toward ensuring working class New Jerseyans get sustained help when they need it most.”
“Ensuring out-of-work New Jerseyans on extended unemployment can receive their benefits throughout most, if not all, of this year, is the right thing to do,” said Benson (D-Mercer/Middlesex) “We can’t sit idly by. We need to take advantage of any federal program that will help our workers in their time of need.”
“We must utilize every opportunity we can to keep out-of-work New Jerseyans afloat until the economy rebounds,” DeAngelo said. “We cannot turn our backs on a simple step that can extend benefits. We must ensure workers who find themselves unemployed for long periods can they help they so direly need.”
The bill was released by the Assembly Commerce and Economic Development Committee. TLS.
Panel
studies show that people who run out of unemployment generally find a job within 5 weeks. Extending benefits only keeps most people reliant on a check that is sometimes as much as a job, so why work?
Instead of figuring out every way to extend unemployment benefits they should create jobs. Unemployment benefits are good for a few months not a few years.
In a normally functioning economy, you’re correct. Jobs are so scarce right now that behavior isn’t really influenced by the check. In most cases, the unemployed can’t find jobs, regardless of how much they want to.
# 1. I’m unemployed, in a field that died with the economy. I can tell you first hand that these benifits are a necissary thing. I want to work but can’t find a job. The schools want money, the utilities want money, the food store wants money. As far as the benifits paying as much as a job, I don’t know where you got that from but I think someone is drunk. I get 1700 per month from a job that used to pay 1200 per week gross (do your math). i don’t call it living on easy street when I can’t even buy my children new clothes when they need it. While gemachs are useful, they don’t always have the sizes we need and there is so many times you can fix holes in clothing. Do you know what it’s like to tell your kids we can’t buy more food this month because food stamps ran out? I think your comments are inappropriate. Some of us really are trying and there ARE NO JOBS.
to #5
I am sorry to hear of your situation and I understand it 100%. I am on disability and my husband has been out of work and collecting UE since June 09. it runs out the end of April. We are scared to death, where is the rent and bill money going to come from. He looks for jobs on a daily basis, send resumes and applications all the time…people are not hiring. These people who make these comments do not live in our shoes. I am grateful that my kids are teens and understand when I say I cant buy you new shoes this month I have to pay the water bill in full or soething of that nature. Just know you are not the only one who wants to work and just ignore the idiots who talk out of their A%%, because they have no clue what its like to be on the needing end of something.
to 5 & 6
you have been getting unemployment for a few years already and there is no change in sight with your current proffesion. What we are advocating is that instead of spending endless amounts of money on unemployment benefits that will have to c44ome to an end eventually and than you will be stuck rather to spend it on job creation so you could change proffesions. When you are on unemployment for so long already than you should consider a new type of job.
I am a 43 year old mother of 4. I have worked hard all of my life and supported my children on my own without any help from outside agencies. I lost my job in November. Unemployment is keeping us above water, so to speak, but my lease is up and I have to move in 2 weeks and nobody will rent to me because i am on unemployment. Even on unemployment i make to much for help with housing. I am stuck in the middle with no where to turn. It is hard to look for a job when you don’t even have a house.