Looking at the bill yesterday evening just briefly but A little more in depth, It basically says that only states with a unemployment rate higher than 8.2 percent will have the extra 37 Million dollars in additional benefits available to them. It is also required that the state has had a continuous 8.0% average UI rate since the start of the year.

So this might mean US states like Connecticut (which have a 8.1% UI rate) and not a continuous 8% average have missed the requirements by the skin of their teeth.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Especially for US States Like Connecticut.

If you read carefully my answer to the question on weather or not benefits should be extended.

http://www.mahalo.com/answers/from-twitter/should-we-expand-umployment-from-record-79-weeks-to-82-weeks-or-more-79-is-longest-since-creation-of-unemployment-in-1930

You will see I'm a proponent for helping people .
And I believe unemployment should be extended to a degree.
(Especially now for Americans)

What this bill is essentially doing is saying that states with Less than 1 tenth of every 10 capable working adults who are on virtually on Unemployment are not eligible.

In my humble opinion I feel this was a bad move.

The unemployment rate in the US is rising, its NOT getting lower.
This might start forcing people that have worked at jobs for over 10-30 YEARS to end up feeling emancipated from the US Federal Labor system.

A system that is supposed to help EVERYONE .
Not just the blue states. (Which is exactly what this bill will do)

I'm glad to see help is still there but it should be there for everyone or not at all.

Kind Regards,
@XDS

PS: I think its important to mention this does not weigh on your rights to file for unemployment in any way, it just says that if you have already been getting 79 weeks of benefits that this will be extended.
YOU CAN STILL FILE if you have never filed before or can appeal if you where denied!
Source(s):
Last nights "session".

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As someone who's involuntarily out of work, I'm very glad unemployment is being extended, though I don't think it's fair to only do it for some states. I don't know what I would do if my unemployment benefits run out before I find a job.
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I'm happy about it. My significant other has been laid off since March. Before that he was employed with a construction company for 10 years with great pay. He was one of the last to be laid off from the job. Suddenly there was no one and the company started losing bids to other contractors who under bid the projects. The company is currently not doing any work. So my SO had to look for another job. He is still looking. He has been contacting people left and right yet no one is hiring at a decent wage. One of the people that called him back was an agency that wanted him to be an operator for $15 an hour. Operators in this area normally get $35 an hour. When we got that offer, we realized that we were making more on unemployment while still paying taxes. Today he has an interview with another company that we believe pays the proper county wages for operators/ laborers. Hopefully he will get that job but if he doesn't, I'd like for us to have the option of still having money come in by extending unemployment. Right now we are considering our first extension. Hopefully that will be all that is needed but until the economy gets better extensions are needed.
Source(s):
Personal Experience

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Exactly as one respondent posted, if passed this will further delay people from learning that wages are a factor of what the market will pay for work. The longer people can draw unemployment because the job offers they're getting don't pay what they used to make, means longer until jobs and money starts circulating again, and longer until our economy begins to correct.

It would be better for people to start having to get jobs or pay they previously thought "beneath them" so that the supply and demand mechanisms will begin correcting the labor markets. All extending unemployment will do is create an artificial shortage of labor keeping prices at levels demand is unwilling to support until unemployment benefits are bankrupt or stopped.
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Increasing "benefits" merely increases the incentive *to remain unemployed.* The higher the increase, the higher the incentive.
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I think it shows we are not in recovery from the recession. The president knows too and that is the reason for the increase. I live in one of those states and jobs just aren't out there.
With winter coming soon it will close down more jobs with the cold season. Soon there will be even less work here and higher heating cost. It's not going to be easy anywhere and they know no matter what they are trying to tell the American people.
That said, it is time to begin thinking of home businesses and private businesses. It is going to be a slow recovery and we all have to do whatever we can to improve the economy little by little.
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I think it could be useful for many, but in the long run the money has to come from somewhere. This could push the economy towards another Great Depression.
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I would limit unemployment benefits to 52 weeks. I think that it would be better to have other programs to help the unemployed like, OJT, housing swaps so that people can move to places that have better opportunities, no-fee business licenses and free accounting courses so that people could go into business for themselves.
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With unemployment above 8%, that means people can't get jobs, not that they don't want them or are turning them down. Unemployment only goes to people that were working and were laid off, not to the chronically unemployed or unemployable. Spending money to prevent them going bankrupt or becoming homeless is a heck of a lot cheaper than trying to fix the social ills afterward.

One thing the government never does and ought to do is to sponsor and subsidize people moving from one state to another to find or accept work.

Overall I'm in favor.
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I paid for unemployment for over 40 years of FUTA tax out of my paychecks. I want to know where it is now that I need it. I agree it needs to be equal treatment and accelerated treatment to those states with high unemployment like the broke state of California.

Lets get it together guys we are all dying out here. Shovel work? I would do it in a heartbeat just to make a few bucks but where is it? Google is right next door with their $100k salaried twenty somethings. Hey Google how about hiring a mature adult who is ready willing and able to do anything. I do have a masters degree, and I cannot find a job, and you name anything I guarantee they will not hire, because no company has money, none of them. We are a bankrupt country and I want to see our government step in like Roosevelt stepped in in 1932. I have always been a hard worker and now with no job, over 2000 resumes sent out and nothing, it is more than unconscionable.

So extend the benefits so that people in my age group who have been unilaterally laid off, can get their benefits that they paid for or else give us that FUTA money back.

I am mad as hell that this is even a topic of discussion. When are we going to get it going again or are we on a viscous slide and America's dream is over and done with?
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