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Unemployment Benefits Extension
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| House Republicans continue to block efforts to renew unemployment benefits for the long-term unemployed. |
The limit on unemployment benefits was first extended in 2008 by then-President George Bush in response to the massive economic crash. It has been renewed on a bipartisan basis for years – that is until last December, when House Republicans voted to cut it off.
House Republican leaders say they won’t take up the Senate bill, which would provide retroactive benefits to Dec. 28. Some are demanding Congress pass tax cuts for high-income earners and corporations before consideration of the Senate bill.
Discrimination in the job market against those out of work for 26 weeks or more makes unemployment benefits the only lifeline for many Americans.
Despite signs of economic recovery, the long-term unemployed are finding it nearly impossible to get hired.
As we wrote on Feb. 7:
A study by Northeastern University showed that that a six-month work gap – regardless of experience or education – was enough to disqualify a job-seeker a majority of the time. Researchers sent out thousands of fictitious resumes to jobs they found online. Applicants who reported being out of work one month had a 7 percent chance of getting an interview, while those that listed being out of work 8 months or more had only a 4 percent chance of being called in.
Call your House member at 845-809-4509 and ask them to extend unemployment benefits.
