Unemployment sucks!!! (insurance, unemployment benefits, buy)

[Klaudia]

Originally Posted by bluebelt1234

I applied for unemployment online at http://www.azui.com. I got my benefits in about four weeks, thank God. One of my coworkers applied in person for his benefits. I have heard horror stories about using the phone system. I got a letter saying that if I were to file my weekly claims over the phone, that there is only one day a week I can do so.

Thank you, bluebelt. Will be applying online.
Just out of curiosity, did your coworker get his benefits as fast (considering the circumstances) as you did?

[bluebelt1234]

Originally Posted by Klaudia

Thank you, bluebelt. Will be applying online.
Just out of curiosity, did your coworker get his benefits as fast (considering the circumstances) as you did?

I am not sure because I have not seen him in awhile.

[krock1dk]

Unemployment benefits in AZ are designed to pretty much just pay for food and your essentials. My sister lives in MI and has been getting paid unemployment for 13 months. She gets paid $2000 a month after taxes! The jobs market in AZ is honestly among the WORST in the country, despite an unemployment rate BELOW the national average. Arizona has way too many service jobs, call center positions, and jobs in hospitality--neither of which offer much of a paycheck and a future--to be competitive with any state for good jobs. Arizona is the service industry-Walmart-$10 and hour capital of America! And the recession is easily exploiting Arizona's stubborn reliance on service industries. If the state's policy makers dont change Arizonas reliance on service industries, the state's young, educated population will head for other state's for job opportunities. That is a promise. And I will probably be one of them. How loyal do people have to be? In my opinion, Arizona may be a state 'designed' for retirees after all, and thats about it. Just my ten-cents.

[actinic]

Originally Posted by krock1dk

If the state's policy makers dont change Arizonas reliance on service industries, the state's young, educated population will head for other state's for job opportunities. That is a promise. And I will probably be one of them. How loyal do people have to be? In my opinion, Arizona may be a state 'designed' for retirees after all, and thats about it. Just my ten-cents.

Interesting, I said virtually the same thing over 4 months ago.

https://www.city-data.com/forum/8017447-post94.html

[KarmaPhx]

I gave up on unemployment, I was supposed to receive $215/week for a total of 3 weeks, it never came because anyone in school is considered special needs and it took 10 weeks for my application to finally be reviewed, and once it was, I got a call from a lady in the unemployment office, she said she was working on my case and I have not heard back in 3 weeks, the number she gave me to call does not work, and I can't sit around for 3-4 hours trying to get in on the phone system.

I am just happy to be working again, I make another $4/hr at this job due to my recent promotion, so I am getting myself back on my feet, just have to take care of some past due credit cards now!

[Klaudia]

Did you also apply online?

[bluebelt1234]

Originally Posted by krock1dk

Unemployment benefits in AZ are designed to pretty much just pay for food and your essentials. My sister lives in MI and has been getting paid unemployment for 13 months. She gets paid $2000 a month after taxes! The jobs market in AZ is honestly among the WORST in the country, despite an unemployment rate BELOW the national average. Arizona has way too many service jobs, call center positions, and jobs in hospitality--neither of which offer much of a paycheck and a future--to be competitive with any state for good jobs. Arizona is the service industry-Walmart-$10 and hour capital of America! And the recession is easily exploiting Arizona's stubborn reliance on service industries. If the state's policy makers dont change Arizonas reliance on service industries, the state's young, educated population will head for other state's for job opportunities. That is a promise. And I will probably be one of them. How loyal do people have to be? In my opinion, Arizona may be a state 'designed' for retirees after all, and thats about it. Just my ten-cents.

This is true. There are WAY TOO MANY call center jobs here. Also, it seems like a lot of companies want to hire H1B visas despite the fact that many Americans are out of work. Even though there are many American teachers out of work, I know a lot of schools are still bringing in teachers from overseas. What's up with that?

I don't even know if unemployment in Arizona would pay for food and other essentials. Although it is better than making no money at all. How many apartments can you find for 240 a week? Okay well maybe a crack house or something like that, but most of us want to live in a decent neighborhood. How many people can actually feed an entire family of four on 240 a week? Again you would more than likely have to stop by your local food bank. Then of course there are medical expenses, utility bills, gas, transportation. As you can see anyone who has to spend a long time in Arizona's unemployment system and has no savings would be force to file bankruptcy in a matter of months. I wish they would at least pay us a living wage. I mean 240 a week is less than minimum wage in most places now. My cousin in Indiana is making 425 a week on unemployment.

[shiphead]

Originally Posted by bluebelt1234

This is true. There are WAY TOO MANY call center jobs here. Also, it seems like a lot of companies want to hire H1B visas despite the fact that many Americans are out of work. Even though there are many American teachers out of work, I know a lot of schools are still bringing in teachers from overseas. What's up with that?

They get tax a tax write off for it? no idea. Maybe they understand H1B's will work for them and live on the street like their home country. I know managers in the India call centers that live on the street.

[Klaudia]

Sure makes me wish we lived in a state w/ a higher unemployment pay.
We are a family of 5, w/ one working parent. There is no way we would survive ONE month on this type of pay alone. Hopefully doing other things will get us through until one of us finds a job. That's if and when we get it.
How can it take them this long, a month or more? What the heck are people supposed to do?
And when they finally get some cash, they come to find it won't even pay for rent.
You buy food and you won't be able to pay for rent, etc.

[zugor]

Unemployment benefits are paid for by a tax that each state imposes on every business, it does not come from the state's general revenues.

In Arizona the employer only pays tax on the first $7,000 of wages per employee. The rate for new business is only 2%. In this case the employer would pay in a mere $140.00 to the fund. That is why benefits paid to the unemployed are so low.

https://egov.azdes.gov/CMS400Min/InternetFiles/InternetProgrammaticForms/pdf/UC-018%20pd%20fillable.pdf (broken link)

If you want to change this you have to get your elected representatives to increase the wage ceiling and/or the tax rate. Of course they do not want to do that because much of their campaign funding comes from the business community.