UE benefits running out....

[Deleted]

Get a job. I got a job for you. Fix up this pigsty! You get a pretty goddamned good salary for testing out this bed all day! You want an extra 50 dollars a week, try vacuuming! You want an extra hundred, make this goddamned bed! Try opening some goddamned windows! That's why you can't stand up in here, the goddamned place smells like a coffin.

[happyscooter]

2 1/2 years?

[Deleted]

maybe they need a little kick in the pants.

[Savoir Faire-Demogague in NJ]

InsuranceGal,
Have these friends had training and skill upgrading, that is usually offered by state umemployment agencies?
I knew someone who lost her job, and the NJ unemployment office paid for a training program in Microsoft Office 2007. It was a three month program, completely paid for by the state. It was a pretty good program from what I could see.

[Opti]

Obviously now is the time to pull out all the stops and if you find yourself in a dilemma like the job one on the YM thread. Take whatever job you are offered and do your best to not feel bad if you have to quit quickly and move onto a better opportunity.

It also depends on their personal situation, i.e. how much money they have to survive on as well as what they are willing to do. Encourage them to stay positive but remind them to come up solutions as the safety net goes mostly to those with kids and the elderly.

[workpublic]

Get a job. I got a job for you. Fix up this pigsty! You get a pretty goddamned good salary for testing out this bed all day! You want an extra 50 dollars a week, try vacuuming! You want an extra hundred, make this goddamned bed! Try opening some goddamned windows! That's why you can't stand up in here, the goddamned place smells like a coffin.

But you wouldn't let me canvas for kennedy.

[fairlycrazy23]

I think they should change the way UE works, you should be allowed to take a low paying job and use UE to make up the difference until your UE runs out. And if you take a low paying job then your UE would last longer because you would only be using a portion of it. But 99 weeks is way to long .

[workpublic]

i've been out since october 2009.

maybe we'll see some eygptian style democracy when the 25+ million of us are out of money in the next year or so.

[Savoir Faire-Demogague in NJ]

I think they should change the way UE works, you should be allowed to take a low paying job and use UE to make up the difference until your UE runs out. And if you take a low paying job then your UE would last longer because you would only be using a portion of it. But 99 weeks is way to long .

Not 100% on this but I think NJ UE sort of works similar to this.

[Deleted]

Mar 8, 2011 12:22:51 GMT -5 fairlycrazy23 said:

I think they should change the way UE works, you should be allowed to take a low paying job and use UE to make up the difference until your UE runs out. And if you take a low paying job then your UE would last longer because you would only be using a portion of it. But 99 weeks is way to long .

This is roughly what the earned income credit is supposed to be.

[workpublic]

in ny they ask you if you've worked at all during the week you are claiming. if you work one day, they ask how much you made. they subtract that from your check. at least that's the way it was back in 06

[workpublic]

thanks IG

[cronewitch]

Mar 8, 2011 12:07:20 GMT -5 @insurancegal said:

...Throughout the country, I've got two friends who have exhausted their UE benefits. Several more friends will soon be in the same boat. Now what? I mean, what do you say to people who are in this position? It's been a really rough 2 1/2 years.....

I would just say that is scary, what are you going to do? Now is the time for them to step up and do something to not starve instead of depending on the government.

When they are hungry they will figure it out. Unless you are handicapped you can always find some kind of work even if it is babysitting or lawn mowing for friends or neighbors.

[phil5185]

I know of a couple 30-somethings who game the UE system - they normally work at about $10/hr jobs. They volunteer to be laid-off, take the $9/hr UE to within 2 weeks of the end (99 weeks) and then go back to work.

I would like to see the $9/hr put on a diminishing scale - ie, $9 for a few weeks, $8 for a few weeks, and so on.

And I also know people who once earned >$100,000 and haven't worked for over a year. They only apply for >$75k jobs, they won't do 'menial' work. IMO, when you are out of work, you need to take the jobs that are available, not your 'dream' job.

[Savoir Faire-Demogague in NJ]

And I also know people who once earned >$100,000 and haven't worked for over a year. They only apply for >$75k jobs, they won't do 'menial' work. IMO, when you are out of work, you need to take the jobs that are available, not your 'dream' job.

My dream job would be at $20,000 to $30,000 less than what I make now.

[Opti]

Mar 8, 2011 12:23:57 GMT -5 Savoir Faire-Demogague in NJ said:

I think they should change the way UE works, you should be allowed to take a low paying job and use UE to make up the difference until your UE runs out. And if you take a low paying job then your UE would last longer because you would only be using a portion of it. But 99 weeks is way to long .

Not 100% on this but I think NJ UE sort of works similar to this.

I forget the specifics, but I think you need to find a job that pays 10% or less of your NJ UE to continue to receive any UE. If you find something that say pays 50% you lose your UE entirely. Plus if the job you take has
some unexpected features, i.e. hours, commute, need to make lesson plans up on the fly you have to suck it up and keep the job or lose UE.

[Angel!]

I can't feel too bad for someone whose UE is about to run out after 2.5 years. I mean you've had 2.5 years to plan for this. Yes, it sucks they couldn't get back into their field or couldn't get the salary they wanted. But, come on - even if you only started to get worried a few months ago, that is still enough time to get some sort of McJob or start some work on the side or cut your lifestyle if you are married with a working spouse.

Also, if you have a family & can only get min wage, then you will likely qualify for help - food stamps, daycare subsidies, EITC, etc.

[workpublic]

When they are hungry they will figure it out. Unless you are handicapped you can always find some kind of work even if it is babysitting or lawn mowing for friends or neighbors.

no health insurance. not enough for rent. they will figure something out. take what they need from whoever they can. eygptian style democracy

no hard feelings taken, no hard feelings taken. ;D

Don't get me wrong: I am thankful every day that DH and I have jobs. I also don't want bad karma for saying this but, I am just amused at my friends and the plethora of excuses.

the stimulus package subsidized a part of COBRA and added money to the checks

so driving far and killing your car, gas, tolls, risk of accident for less than or equal to EU
wasn't a "smart" option for the UE. "taking anything(if you can get it cause you're over qualified)"
equals no health insurance.

so for all of you still working with health insurance, please take it into consideration when you judge the unemployed former middle class workers, you all could be and, imho a great number of you will be in the same boat in the next coupla o years. the millions of us on "up to "99 weeks have basically been flushed out of the jobs market. there are no wheres near enough jobs being created for new people entering the work force let alone the millions flushed by the imho, planned, economic downward shift that lowered Americas standard of living and continues to do so for globalization agendas

[Opti]

And I also know people who once earned >$100,000 and haven't worked for over a year. They only apply for >$75k jobs, they won't do 'menial' work. IMO, when you are out of work, you need to take the jobs that are available, not your 'dream' job.

I wish there were more employers who were willing to hire these people who are more than willing to make these sacrifices. I know of people who applied to various low paying jobs kept following up and didn't get any interviews because of weird things employers tell themselves about potential employees.

I had no clue what to say to a friend who in one case had a friend at the potential job, networking good, but later found out the boss hired a younger person who wasn't a good worker, showed up late, etc. instead of even interviewing him. What should you say? What would you tell yourself in that situation to keep going and keep trying? I've currently invested three weeks to get a 6 hour a week job and the interviewer said they'd be willing to hire me then but the paperwork is extensive and required so I'm doing my best imitation of a positive outlook while waiting and still applying for other options.

[workpublic]

opt,

i've gone down to NYC for a "face to face" with a headhunter! not an employer.

they want to "take a look at you" i can tell immediately by their body language, facial expression, that the 20 something HH or interviewer is disappointed by my age, i wouldn't be a good fit in the office being the oldest by 25 years.

i had a young girl pop her head out of an office, take a look at me, come back 5 mins later telling me that weren't going to bother with me filling out the application and other pre interview paperwork and just talk. when the kid who would be my supervisor and his boss(who was my age) did the "interview, it lasted 5 mins.

i suspect that ageism is what befell your qualified friend.

[Tiny]

A dear friend's been on UE for almost a year. I don't think she'll ever work again... I suspect at some point she'll apply for disability... she's morbidly obese and has never had very good health (asthma and now diabetes) she's averaged 3 to 6 weeks out of work (short term disability) each year for the last 6 or 7 years - usually in the winter when she gets pneumonia. 3 weeks is a good year. Even being home her lungs gave out and she was really sick for 3 weeks - it was better since she wasn't trying to drag herself to work...
Add to that her elderly mom isn't well and they are pretty much waiting for her elderly dad to die... he keeps bouncing back from pneumonia (done it twice already in the last 6 months). Dad's at home now and maybe with the better spring weather he'll struggle on till next winter.

I don't envy my friend's situation.

[Opti]

"so for all of you still working with health insurance, please take it into consideration when you judge the unemployed former middle class workers, you all could be and, imho a great number of you will be in the same boat in the next coupla o years. the millions of us on "up to "99 weeks have basically been flushed out of the jobs market. there are no wheres near enough jobs being created for new people entering the work force let alone the millions flushed by the imho, planned, economic downward shift that lowered Americas standard of living and continues to do so for globalization agenda"

Well said. While there are certainly those who take advantage of the situation those I hang with that are unemployed have been trying for awhile. Some luckier than others and yes sometimes its clear why its not working for them but many times not so much. What are you supposed to do if you were already living close to the bone because your prior job didn't pay well and had no health insurance?

Not all of us can stand on our feet long enough to make applying for McJobs or other retail a realistic choice. Until now I was unwilling to practice my acting skills and out right lie about how long I plan to do certain jobs but I guess that's all that's left. I'm still paying for the damage to my body that a 2005 FT retail job did to me.

[Opti]

Yes ageism is running rampant and I am pretty sure it was at least one of those reasons he didn't even get the interview.

I've worked with lots of folks half my age or more just fine in the last 7 years so I'd be mad if it obviously happened to me.

[Deleted]

Mar 8, 2011 13:26:51 GMT -5 @insurancegal said:

RE: Mcjobs: They, too, border on ageism. My 60 yr old friend applied for a management job at a newly built Mcds. The interviewer asked her if she would be able to be on her feet 9/hr. She answered honestly, No. He then replied: This is a young man's game. !!!

Well... if you can't do the job, I don't think that counts as ageism,.

[workpublic]

Well... if you can't do the job, I don't think that counts as ageism,.

no. they will need to get some kind of "assistance" for the worker. like the handicapped

most 5 foot 4 inch tall women firemen/policemen "can't do the job" but they have to have a certain number of them on the payroll. or the minority person who can't pass the written exam. the standards are lowered for that.

IMHO, anyone on UE should be a "priviledged class" like ex military and minorities.
people on UE should be hired before all others at this point.

come on libs and other professional protesters. where's the compassion for the UE? where are the "equal(really unequal) opportunity" protests? too many regular folks on UE for that to happen?

I hired one gal as a temp for a warehouse job (all standing, lifting, physical activity)

sro,

that sounds like one o them "anything" jobs the UE are supposed to take.

[stats45]

I don't feel all that sorry for people particularly those below (40 or so) who collected benefits for two years or more and didn't take steps to change careers or add new skills during the two years. I mean come on, two years is long enough to get many occupational and technical degrees, you could get an associate's degree even in that time.

The dirty truth though is that the economic recovery is going to leave unemployed workers over 55 behind. The majority of these workers are not going to re-enter the labor market completely and will rely on charity, family assistance, spouse wages to get them to SS. A huge percent of the long-term unemployed are in this category.

This is why the recovery is really complicated. The labor force participation will probably stay at generational lows, but unemployment will drop relatively quickly. The true losers in the recession were people who had ten or more years of labor force participation taken away by the job loss, unemployment benefits, and how entitlements structure retirement. They bear the brunt of the recession through a lower standard of living in retirement.

[whoisjohngalt]

people on UE should be hired before all others at this point.

OK, I know I said this a few days ago, but THIS is one of the stupidest posts I've seen.

It's not bad enough that for YEARS companies were made to hire all kinds of minorities regardless of their qualifications, now they have to hire unemployed?

Look, I know your "name" is ToughTimes and I don't know what kind of horrible life you've had, but at some point this idea of what should be done for people instead of what should be done by people have to sink in. No?

Lena

[Deleted]

After TGH died and I moved down here, I knew I couldn't just do nothing for the rest of my days. I turned over every rock I could find, followed up on every single possibility, all but fought my way in the door of the decision makers, and finally decided that everybody who could say yes to me figured that I was just too old.

So I made my own job, although it's not for everybody. I always said that if I could do anything I wanted to do, I'd have a cleaning service. So now I do. I clean houses, and I work cheap cheap cheap in comparison with what other independents charge, can pick and choose my clients, and work as much or as little as I want to. And I have a list as long as my arm of people who want me to call if I have time available to take another client.

If I were doing this to support a family or to keep the wolf from the door, I'd be charging--and getting--twice what I do (so it's not always true that you get what you pay for!). If I were inclined to turn my cleaning gigs into a going business, it wouldn't take but a few days to get a tax ID, become an LLC, hire and train people who are willing to work, and tell the people I work for now that I'm open for business.

As it is now, my clients guard me jealously, only telling their friends that they have "someone" clean for them. I've had three clients that I just plain didn't like and didn't like their museum-like palatial estates so I fired 'em and replaced them in just a couple of days.

And one more thing, it's not as though I'm a slouch who never had a job that paid more than minimum wage. I have a good solid background, a technical education, and impressive references. I'm 70. I wanted to work badly enough that I just said to h*ll with those who deemed me too old to do a "real" job.

[whoisjohngalt]

Post #35 should be taken out of this thread and framed somewhere to show everyone and anyone who whines and complains why they can't work. Great job and karma to you!!!!!

Lena

[Deleted]

Thanx, Lena. I hope nobody thought I was tooting my own horn...just wanted to point out that not having a job or losing a job doesn't mean that all the doors are closed and all is lost and gone forever.

And thanx for the karma! Being karmalized is great ;D