[BPt111]

While Congress continues the back and forth over the prospective reinstatement of extended unemployment benefits that were discontinued December 28, over 20,000 Connecticut residents are sinking deeper into debt and despair.
For every week there remains an absence of an extension, roughly $8 million are not being pumped into the state’s economy.
“We want to be there to make sure these folks, who are looking for work and really want work, get that lifeline,” said Daryle Dudzinski of the Connecticut Department of Labor.
Cheryl Mobley, who most recently worked in loss mitigation, has been searching for work since her company trimmed 100 employees last March.
“I have excellent skills. I’m very employable. I type 65 to 70 words a minute. I know Microsoft Word. As a matter of fact, when I was at Travelers, I pilot tested it,” said Mobley, who may soon lose her car and apartment.






Lack Of Unemployment Extension Hurting CT’s Economy | WTIC FOX CT

[Slipperman]

breaks my heart hearing of peoples struggles like this. i know what it's like. i've been lucky enough to have always eventually found something (though most times the jobs have sucked - like my current one) but until i did, the extensions in previous years saved my life (particularly the early 2000's with the dot.com crash and 9/11). employers don't help much either with their stupid prejudices (whaa, he has 20 yrs experience but no 4-yr degree, whaa, he doesn't have a contracting assignment lasting more than 5 yrs, etc)

[mlassoff]

Unfortunately, I think this is what I call the "technical generation gap" at work.

While I feel for her, using Microsoft Word isn't really a technical skill-- let alone one that separates you in the job pool. Most execs do their own typing. She is indistinguishable form a marketability standpoint from thousands of others who are relatively low-skill in today's market.

She bears some responsibility for not updating her skills.

[mrgmrg]

I don't place the blame on long-term unemployed people--many of them have just been left behind by an rapidly-changing economy. But unemployment insurance benefits are designed to be temporary and short-term--not for people who are going to be permanently or at least indefinitely unemployed. We should be trying to figure out how to deal with people who, for all intents and purposes, and likely to be underemployed or unemployed permanently as a result of structural changes in our economy. Unemployment insurance is an expensive and poorly-designed band-aid.

[MrGompers]

What is happening in this economy is that the "middle tier jobs" are disappearing. I would classify these jobs as the ones paying $15-$25 an hour. Don't necessarily need a college degree, but it wouldn't hurt either. It's also my belief that these jobs are gone forever.

The people remaining are the upper mgmt types who will not reduce each others salaries or lay each other off. And the lower tier (min wage - $15) an hour employees who will pick up the slack of the middle tier employees who were just let go, but won't get a pay raise for doing so.

Job search is difficult in this economy since being unemployed is black mark against you. This may be due to HR people who believe only the "slackers" are laid off when the economy is bad. I actually heard this from an HR person at a company I worked at before. Due to this a lot of people can not even get past the "HR gate keepers" in order to get their resume's in front of decision makers.

[Slipperman]

Originally Posted by MrGompers

Job search is difficult in this economy since being unemployed is black mark against you. This may be due to HR people who believe only the "slackers" are laid off when the economy is bad. I actually heard this from an HR person at a company I worked at before. Due to this a lot of people can not even get past the "HR gate keepers" in order to get their resume's in front of decision makers.

this is another one of those prejudices i was referring to.

[Mike 75]

If the CT economy is reliant on unemployment benefits as stimulus, we are in worse shape than I thought.

[Henry10]

I would like to get some bang for the buck.

You got 12 weeks unemployment. After that, you get the same benefit, but you give us 20 hours/week for public works. Maybe, you pick up a shovel and start digging another road through FFC. Or maybe work for expanded programs at Public Libraries.

Of course I am over-simplifying this, but since we as a nation (or state) have some public assets, which need improvements, like roads, airports, ports, libraries, schools -- after 12 weeks, you contribute something in return to getting an unemployment check.

Who knows, maybe you can pick up a skill, you remain workplace-socialized, you network. Maybe for some, this will lead to new careers.

[cottercutie]

I've been unemployed or underemployed since relocating here for DH's job. I took a part time job just to have a job (I made less than what daycare costs were after taxes) because there is definitely a stigma against the unemployed. Unfortunately, I got laid off from that job. I send out HUNDREDS of resumes each week. I have interviewed numerous times. I have taken ten years plus of experience off my resume because I am too overqualified.

I would gladly accept Henry10's suggestion if there were a stipend for daycare costs or childcare was provided. As it is, most of my take home pay went to daycare costs. Cutting my pay to 2/3 before taxes leaves me unable to pay for daycare. We make too much for DSS assistance unlike recipients of TANF and other welfare programs. I have made a similar suggestion of public volunteerism for long term welfare recipients, released inmates and others who want jobs and skills but can't find them. I don't think unions will EVER allow it to happen though.

[S2000]

Originally Posted by Mike 75

If the CT economy is reliant on unemployment benefits as stimulus, we are in worse shape than I thought.

We actually are in pretty bad shape here and biggest issue is that I don't see them put their "big-boy" pants and do whats needed to be done to be productive in society. Rather keep playing the victim card and keep asking for the handouts.