The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL–CIO campaings for the re-authorization of federal Unemployment Benefits. Here is the link to the petition: via Tell Congress: Re-authorize Federal Unemployment Benefits.
From the fiscal cliff to sequestration to the current shutdown debt ceiling debate: What\’s the cost of the U.S. government careening from crisis to crisis? About 900,000 jobs lost … and the potential for another recession. That’s the conclusion of a new report prepared by research firm Macroeconomic Advisers for the Peter G. Peterson Foundation. … Continue reading
When the Joint Economic Committee’s hearing on fixing the nation’s problem kicked off on Wednesday, April 24, only one lawmaker was in attendance: Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the Committee’s vice chair who was holding the hearing. (Niraj Chokshi) It stands to reason that lawmakers who often decry the high jobless rate would want to be seen … Continue reading
The Fiscal Cliff means that Unemployment Benefits will abruptly end for 2 million in dec., and nearly one million more in the first quarter of 2013. So the important question is that is the legislative procedures for adjusting the public debt limit ? Here is the summary of a Brief Overview by Congressional Research Service. *-* … Continue reading
…Given that growth is projected to be not much above the rate needed to absorb new entrants to the labor force, the reduction in the unemployment rate seems likely to be frustratingly slow. Indeed, the central tendency of participants’ forecasts now has the unemployment rate at 7 percent or higher at the end of 2014… … Continue reading
While a number of Tennessee lawmakers want to see drug testing for unemployment benefits the bill stalled in the House, even after a Congressional path was cleared for it. The controversial question of drug testing residents before handing out unemployment benefits has been a hot button topic in the legislative session. State Lawmakers got their … Continue reading
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Wednesday offered a tempered view of the U.S. economy, pouring cold water on the notion that recent upbeat signs herald a stronger recovery. Bernanke told Congress that unless growth accelerated, the unacceptably high U.S. unemployment rate would not keep dropping. But he stopped short of signaling further Fed bond … Continue reading
Earlier this month, in testimony before Congress on the President’s Budget, Secretary Geithner provided an update on the nation’s economic and financial health. Today, we offer you a more in-depth look – in charts – at the data behind many of the key points he discussed and look forward to sharing similar briefings in the … Continue reading
Passed last week as part of a comprehensive payroll tax cut/doc fix/general handout bill, Congress also moved to extend unemployment benefits. That’s hardly a surprise, given the reluctance of fiscal conservatives to take any stand that could be construed as incentives to out-of-work voters. While extending the enhanced federal unemployment program, the bill will scale … Continue reading
Congress has passed and President Obama has signed extension of federal extended unemployment benefits programs and the payroll tax cut. Federal extended benefits for long-term unemployed workers will be gradually reduced to 73 weeks in the states with the highest rates of unemployment and 63 weeks elsewhere. Here’s a summary of the changes: Extended Unemployment Tiers 2012 … Continue reading
Since the economy dropped off a cliff in 2008, members of Congress have not exactly been shy about casting blame for no-or-slow growth on a variety of bureaucrats, outside institutions and Wall Street power players. But if lawmakers are looking for an explanation as to why the recession lasted so long, they should look no … Continue reading
President Barack Obama on Wednesday signed into law the agreement passed by Congress last week to extend the payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits while preventing a cut in payments to Medicare doctors. The signing, announced in a White House statement, resolves those issues for the rest of 2012, beyond the November election in which … Continue reading
The recent payroll tax deal struck by Congress and signed by President Barack Obama will keep an average of $1,000 in the pockets of 160 million American families through 2012 in addition to enabling tens of millions of seniors to continue seeing the doctor of their choice under Medicare. It also provides unemployment benefits for … Continue reading
In a deal to extend the payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits, Congress has passed a law that would soon allow states to conduct drug-tests before handing out payments. While the Republicans initially wanted to extend the drug-tests to all unemployment benefit applicants, the new law would only allow the tests to be conducted on … Continue reading
Nearly 30,000 “long-term” unemployed workers in Michigan—those out of work for more than 6 months—had their Extended Benefits (EB) assistance abruptly disqualified as of February 18. The EB assistance is the last extension program available for workers who have exhausted all other forms of emergency unemployment compensation. The disqualification comes as a result of new … Continue reading