Report: 1.2 Million Americans Set to Lose Unemployment Benefits in March
As Congress weighs its plans for tackling the nation’s enduring jobs crisis, the National Employment Law Project today laid out the stakes of inaction: Nearly
Jul 31, 202041K Shares4.1M Views
As Congress weighs its plans for tackling the nation’s enduring jobs crisis, the National Employment Law Project today laid outthe stakes of inaction: Nearly 1.2 million Americans would lose their unemployment benefits next month unless Congress steps in to extend the filing deadline. By July, that number jumps to almost 5 million.
Under current law, unemployed folks have access to 26 weeks of state-sponsored insurance benefits before four separate tiers of emergency federal benefits kicks in. Confusing the arrangement, recipients must exhaust their current benefits before filing for the next tier. Trouble is, the filing deadline for all tiers is at the end of February.
The result? Roughly 380,000 workers currently receiving state benefits will miss the chance to apply for federal help, NELP estimates, while another 814,000 currently getting federal help wouldn’t be able to enter the next tier.
“Congress must swiftly act to maintain the lifeline for millions of jobless Americans caught in the undertow of record long-term unemployment in this ongoing downturn,” Christine Owens, NELP’s executive director, said in a statement.
There’s every indication that lawmakers will do just that. In December, the House passed a $154 billion jobs bill, including $41 billion to extend the UI filing window by six months. More recently, President Obama unveiled a budget proposal that includes $49 billion (roughly a seven-month extension) for the same purpose. “The Administration will propose legislation for later transmittal to extend the Emergency Unemployment Compensation and Extended Benefits programs,” the budget states.
And Senate leaders on Thursday outlined their plan to tackle the jobs crisis, which included mentions (but no specifics) of a UI extension.
Camilo Wood
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