Current Events — HabitableZone

Current Events » in reply to Ted Strickland doesn't understand

Re: Re: yet another side to it
TB — (archived)

Just to head off the "heartless" accusations, there was an article on unemployment benefits in my paper yesterday. Not surprisingly, the tone was the usual "without these benefits being extended, Little Billy will surely die!"

But there were numbers, too. According to the article, the average national weekly unemployment check is about $300 (maximum weekly benefit in California, no matter what your wages before, is $450). Keep in mind this is taxed as income.

This is sold to us as the last barrier between survival and doom for these people.

$300 a week, divided by 40 work hours, is $7.50 an hour.

Federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. California's minimum wage is $8.00 an hour.

ANY legitimate job I can find anywhere in this country will, at the very least, pay me almost as much as the average unemployment check. Most will pay more, and include at least some benefits.

Around here, low-end jobs are posted everywhere. You could get a job at a fast food place or as a store clerk anytime you wanted.

At some point, after seeing people on unemployment for almost two years and counting, a person might be forgiven for thinking that at least some of these people find collecting a check more appealing than working a low-end job.

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