A Simple Question?

[Airpark]

Is Unemployment the New Welfare?

I grew up working for as little at $0.16 per hour, yep I am an OLD timer, and I am appalled when I see folks on TV saying, "I am NOT looking or TRYING to find a job and WILL NOT until my unemployment stops.

Is Unemployment the New Welfare?

 

[m1gunner]

If they aren't looking or trying to find a job, they aren't elegible to draw unemployment insurance. If they draw it without actively looking for a job, they are committing fraud. They have to sign forms weekly staring how they conducted their job search that week, and who they applied to.

I guess some laws are optional to obey these days.

 

[BaldEagle1313]

That's part of the fallacy of the current "recovery" statistics. They crow about fewer people on unemployment, when really it is either that someone's unemployment benefit has run out so the number goes down, or that someone has just stopped looking, at which point they can be (and are) removed from the official ranks of unemployed. If you aren't looking, they call you retired and change their numbers to make themselves look better. "See, the number of people on unemployment is down!" The Emperor has no clothes.

 

[DeathGrip]

Unemployment numbers based on unemployment benefits?

Added to the other bad math.The numbers we're looking at are seasonal but they don't mention that.A lot of those jobs are already gone.
Numbers are easily manipulated.

 

[BaldEagle1313]

Numbers are easily manipulated.

Lies, damn lies, and statistics.

 

[BaldEagle1313]

If they aren't looking or trying to find a job, they aren't elegible to draw unemployment insurance. If they draw it without actively looking for a job, they are committing fraud. They have to sign forms weekly staring how they conducted their job search that week, and who they applied to.

And you have to be ready to provide that info to them at any time. They'll ask you for your log for a week, and if you can't or don't provide it they'll ask you for ALL your logs since you started. Even if you do provide it, your info has to measure up and be verifiable even months later down the road or it can be disallowed and that week's payment be forfeited back to the government.

 

[A10]

I drew unemployment once for two weeks. I felt unclean...didn't earn it.

 

[DeathGrip]

When your goals are high you can apply for any job you want.If you don't get the job you still have made an effort to become employed.
Sadly they can't make you seek other employment not similar to your profession.
Think lizard reproductive historian.We'll get back to you OK?
I guess I'm one of the few willing to use a shovel.

 

[David LaPell]

I remember when I started my first paying job, I was 12 years old and I was cleaning out an old warehouse for $5 an hour which I thought was a fortune. This was back in 1988. I have been working ever since and now I might be one of those folks out of work if my injury ends up being permanent or does not work 100%. I don't want to be out of work, on disability or what ever I might end up as, and nothing ticks me off more than what I see going on out there with people on assistance with nicer cars and stuff than I have. I mean a couple weeks back I was in line behind this guy texting on a cell phone, not sure what kind but its nicer than my Trac phone, and he pulls out a benefits card (all have their pictures on them now) and then he had the obligatory beer and snacks he paid cash for. He whipped out a wad of cash that had to be two inches thich and appeared to be all $20's. This isn't isolated and when we go shopping alot we see quite a few folks on the benefits card, and some seem to be bragging about it. I know with my injury I have been told to take the system for everything I can get out of it, but that's not how I was raised. Most people, including a doctor I was required to see by my employer last week, said he was amazed I was still working albeit in a light duty capacity. He expected with the nature and severity of my injury to be home, but like I told him, I have bills to pay and a family to support. Like I told him, I would be too bored being home and out of work.

 

[scooter123]

While there are undoubtably abuses IMO unemployment insurance does provide a real benefit to society. When the automakers shut down recently I had to go on unemployment for the first time in my life and didn't feel the least bit guilty about it. Fact is that I had been paying into the unemployment insurance fund since 1971 so it wasn't "free money". BTW, I'm aware that technically it's the employer who pays into the fund, however in book keeping terms it's considered to be part of the employees compensation. As for it's benefit to society, it not only allowed me to keep paying my mortgage, it also allowed my employer to retain his "key employees". Because of this, when automotive production was re-started we were able to resume production quickly and allowed the company that I work for to survive.

As for looking for another job, try finding work today as an Engineer if you have snow on the roof. My fallback historically was to go to work as a Machinist because that's what started me on the road to becoming a Mechanical Engineer and I'm still a qualified machinist. However, as anyone who is in my area knows very well, fully HALF of the machine shops in this area are now closed. End result, due to my age, two areas that I'm well qualified in are now closed to me. For those who don't believe this, just try looking for a job at 57 years of age in a field that is flooded with younger applicants looking for work. Age descrimination is real. IMO it's also pretty darned stupid, because along the way I've learned a lot about how to do a job faster and at less cost, however today the bottomline is the cost of health care for older workers and avoiding those costs.

Yeah, I am a bit bitter. In addition I am not at all impressed with the current generation of designers. Fact is that what looks pretty on a computer screen can be darned near impossible to actually manufacture. The end result of this drive for youth is that manufacturing costs are a lot higher than they need to be simply because the automakers don't have any old farts sitting around to call these younger designers out on really stupid design choices.

 

[chief38]

Welcome to the land of entitlements - which our glorious Politicians have spoon fed the public. Sickening, isn't it!

 

[johnsonl]

Is Unemployment the New Welfare?

I grew up working for as little at $0.16 per hour, yep I am an OLD timer, and I am appalled when I see folks on TV saying, "I am NOT looking or TRYING to find a job and WILL NOT until my unemployment stops.

Is Unemployment the New Welfare?

Entitlement and fraud are the new welfare system. Wait until the unemployment extensions stop. The rioting will start.

 

[dougb1946]

Not really. You don't live very well on unemployment. My experience has been that most people on UE are trying to find work, similar to what they had. The reality is they will have to either take a big pay hit for the same job, or try a different field and start over. The competition for any position is intense, and for a well paying job, probably cut throat. It is easy to criticize until you've been unemployed for months while trying hard to find a job, being turned down because you're "over" qualified or too expensive. Meanwhile, the bank wants your house back, the kids want to eat and wear designer cloths, wifes lawyer wants your blood, and the car needs tires.
Some will of course try to game every system, but most just want to work, make their own way, and not be looked down on for something that probably wasn't their fault to begin with.

 

[H Richard]

Well, my son in law lost his job a couple years ago when the company he worked for folded when the housing construction died. His unemployment with a wife and two kids was $240 for two weeks. That almost covered groceries, with nothing left for house payment, utilities, auto expense, and all the other bills of normal living. He was out of work over 6 months and without us helping them would have lost the house. They never would take food stamps, even though they qualified for them. He got another job, worked his a## off and got a couple promotions. His wife got another job and then a promotion and now they are "only" making $20,000 less than they had been. Growing families have a day to day struggle, and when I think that they are unable to save anything for retirement it's sad. Their daughter goes to college next year, and qualifies for several scholarships, but will probably have $50,000 to $70,000 in debt when she graduates. I don't know where this country is going when people can't afford to live.

 

[hannstv]

I do not believe unemployment benefits are welfare. Small business owner for over 30 years, pay in fund based on gross payrolls. If you keep your claims down, you pay a lower rate! People that have been on unemployment for 99 weeks need to do some serious thoughts on re-location and career change. The longer out of work, harder to find job.

 

[old bear]

I guess I'm one of the few willing to use a shovel.

No sir you are not. yet at 63 I can't use a shovel 8 - 10 a day any longer. In this current round of job losses lots of non blue collar workers are out of work and looking. I believe it's not a matter of not being willing to work, but in many cases, it's being unable to do some of the work offered.

 

[Marshwheeling]

Most people who are laid off or fired really need the unemployment checks. The typical max is half what you were earning. If all you had was part-time employment in the first place, you were probably just scraping y before you lost your job. Applying for unemployment is no picnic either; the hoops you have to jump through can seem Kafkaesque.

In these times, when there are lots of people looking for work, many employers can be cavalier about their firing decisions, and cut people loose for little or no reason, knowing there is an eager pool of replacement workers. The middle class is under siege from a lot of directions; hostility toward unemployment insurance is just one.

 

[DeathGrip]

No sir you are not. yet at 63 I can't use a shovel 8 - 10 a day any longer. In this current round of job losses lots of non blue collar workers are out of work and looking. I believe it's not a matter of not being willing to work, but in many cases, it's being unable to do some of the work offered.

They're are many people out of work that can't do manual labor.

There's a bunch more that can and wont.

I'm 52 and try my hardest not to use a shovel but I will. I'm underemployed and do what it takes to keep a roof over our heads. I've licensed up so I can buy wholesale but the work just isn't there. If I do a job or two for myself a month it helps.I also do a lot of horse trading.

 

[Airpark]

Problem is that MOST of the unemployed think that "Manual Labor" is an illegal working in the lettuce patches....and....want none of it.

 

[relic]

Yes, unemployment is welfare. People who can but aren't working. That's the way politicians buy votes with my tax money.

I started doing farm work sixty plus yrs ago for not much money. I knew I had to save for the day I might not have a job. I don't work much now but I planned for it. We had family, church, and neighbors for emergencies. I remember my parents inviting strangers in for dinner. They knew tough times and made sure we were schooled on how to cope.

Prolly headed for a lock but just offered my answer.

 

[BaldEagle1313]

In these times, when there are lots of people looking for work, many employers can be cavalier about their firing decisions, and cut people loose for little or no reason, knowing there is an eager pool of replacement workers. The middle class is under siege from a lot of directions; hostility toward unemployment insurance is just one.

When I got laid off in July 2010 I was the second oldest person in the office (the oldest got laid off too), I had the most seniority and was maxed out on the amount of vacation days that could be accrued. I probably was being paid the most of any of the admin staff that wasn't a manager but I don't know that for a certainty. I'd been there 25 years, starting out working weekends, nights, holidays, all the usual new guy stuff and worked my way to where I had day shift Monday through Friday. It used to be that the most seniority meant you were safe. Now it means you are first to go. I spent my final week training my replacement who was a temp that didn't have to be given any vacation days, any sick days, any holiday pay, or any medical benefits. Didn't matter that she couldn't do the work as well (not sour grapes; my old boss, who wanted to keep me but was over-ridden by the new operations manager, has kept in touch and I hear it from him). A temp was just plain cheaper for the company.

Looking for a job when you are in your fifties is no fun.

 

[gizamo]

Figures never lie,...

But Liars know how to figure...