darth los
27-Aug-2009, 07:44 PM
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32555445/ns/us_news-the_elkhart_project/
The full article has more personal stories. Just trying to inform as many people as possible about the actual state of things in this country. No matter where you fall in the political spectrum these are issues that affect every American.
It's just crazy the state that this country is in right now. No wonder so many are scared spitless. I know people like this for christ's sake. The politicians don't know sqaut. We're at ground zero and we live this stuff every day. It would be nice to see less partisan bickering and more results.
Can I get an AMEN!?!
Positive signs, but few jobs
Despite some recent signs that the unemployment situation is improving, the odds of actually getting a new job are grim.
Federal statistics indicate that there were more than five times as many people seeking jobs in the United States in June as there were positions available. In especially hard-hit areas like Elkhart, where the unemployment rate is 16.7 percent — compared to 9.4 percent nationwide — the odds against job seekers are even tougher.
Vicki McGlinsey, who was laid off last year from a printing company that served the RV industry, says she was one of 10 people who made the final round of interviews for a security position offered at Wal-Mart in July. The manager who broke the news that she wouldn’t get the job told her they received more than 250 applications.
“I myself have put in about 100 applications and résumés since February … and have had three interview opportunities, including this one,” she says. “It boggles my mind when I hear people say we just need to try harder.”
To aid people like McGlinsey, political pressure is building for the passage of yet another extension of unemployment benefits, at least for the jobless in states hardest hit by the recession.
In early August, just before Congress left for a break, Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., introduced a bill that would provide another 13 weeks of federally funded unemployment benefits to workers in states with a three-month jobless rate over 9.5 percent — likely encompassing about 20 states.
The bill is expected to be taken up when Congress returns after Labor Day.
Opponents of an extension argue that increasing the benefit duration will simply prolong unemployment, allowing workers to get “rusty,” possibly unemployable. Those in favor maintain that the help is essential to these individuals until the employment picture improves and that the jobless funds help stimulate the economy.
:cool:
The full article has more personal stories. Just trying to inform as many people as possible about the actual state of things in this country. No matter where you fall in the political spectrum these are issues that affect every American.
It's just crazy the state that this country is in right now. No wonder so many are scared spitless. I know people like this for christ's sake. The politicians don't know sqaut. We're at ground zero and we live this stuff every day. It would be nice to see less partisan bickering and more results.
Can I get an AMEN!?!
Positive signs, but few jobs
Despite some recent signs that the unemployment situation is improving, the odds of actually getting a new job are grim.
Federal statistics indicate that there were more than five times as many people seeking jobs in the United States in June as there were positions available. In especially hard-hit areas like Elkhart, where the unemployment rate is 16.7 percent — compared to 9.4 percent nationwide — the odds against job seekers are even tougher.
Vicki McGlinsey, who was laid off last year from a printing company that served the RV industry, says she was one of 10 people who made the final round of interviews for a security position offered at Wal-Mart in July. The manager who broke the news that she wouldn’t get the job told her they received more than 250 applications.
“I myself have put in about 100 applications and résumés since February … and have had three interview opportunities, including this one,” she says. “It boggles my mind when I hear people say we just need to try harder.”
To aid people like McGlinsey, political pressure is building for the passage of yet another extension of unemployment benefits, at least for the jobless in states hardest hit by the recession.
In early August, just before Congress left for a break, Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., introduced a bill that would provide another 13 weeks of federally funded unemployment benefits to workers in states with a three-month jobless rate over 9.5 percent — likely encompassing about 20 states.
The bill is expected to be taken up when Congress returns after Labor Day.
Opponents of an extension argue that increasing the benefit duration will simply prolong unemployment, allowing workers to get “rusty,” possibly unemployable. Those in favor maintain that the help is essential to these individuals until the employment picture improves and that the jobless funds help stimulate the economy.
:cool: