Recent News Articles related to Unemployment and Unemployment Benefits

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Senate sends Obama defense bill that also extends jobless benefits and COBRA subsidies

December 19, 6:23 PM Las Vegas Job Search Examiner Rebecca Theim

“A defense appropriations bill that also includes money for a two-month extension of unemployment benefits and COBRA medial insurance subsidies was sent to the White House today for President Obama's signature  following passage by the Senate earlier in the day, the Los Angeles Times reports.”   read more

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New $100 billion safety net for jobless in works

By ANDREW TAYLOR, Associated Press Writer Andrew Taylor, Associated Press Writer – Tue Dec 1, 6:39 pm ET

WASHINGTON – “As unemployment spikes, the cost of compassion is going up too.

By as much as $100 billion.

That's the potential price of a push by Democrats in Congress to continue providing extra help to the jobless beyond the core 26-week unemployment insurance package provided under permanent law.”

read more

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Jobless benefits could end for many in January

By CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER, AP Economics Writer Christopher S. Rugaber, Ap Economics Writer – Wed Nov 18, 8:40 pm ET

“WASHINGTON – More than1 million people will run out of unemployment benefits in January unless Congress quickly extends federal emergency aid, a nonprofit group said Wednesday.”   read more

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MICROTRENDS |  NOVEMBER 17, 2009, 8:52 P.M. ET

The Unemployment Cushion

The Wall Street Journal

By MARK PENN

With E. Kinney Zalesne

“Unemployment has hit double digits in the U.S., and in some areas of the industrial Midwest, it is approaching 16%. Joblessness in many parts of this country is destructive beyond belief. The Federal Reserve Chairman said he sees little prospect of immediate relief.”   read more

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U.S. unemployment rate hits 10.2 percent

By Lucia Mutikani, Reuters
November 6, 2009

WASHINGTON — “The U.S. unemployment rate unexpectedly jumped to 10.2 percent in October, breaching the politically sensitive double-digit barrier for the first time in 26-1/2 years, even though the pace of job losses slowed.”   read more

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Senate's vote to extend jobless benefits delayed

Deb Price / Detroit News Washington Bureau - November 3, 2009  

“Washington -- Senate Democrats and Republicans traded blows today over who is responsible for the slow pace of voting to extend unemployment benefits, leaving in doubt a final vote before Wednesday at the earliest on the high-stakes issue to tens of thousands of Michiganians.”…   

read more

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House bill would extend COBRA subsidy by six months

Posted On: Oct. 30, 2009 3:27 PM CENTRAL - Jerry Geisel

businessinsurance.com

“WASHINGTON—Legislation introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would extend and expand an expiring provision in a 2009 economic stimulus law in which the federal government pays 65% of COBRA health care premiums of employees who are involuntarily terminated..”…    read more

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Next Week Could be Worse: Unemployment Report

Submitted by Ted Gottsegen on Fri, 10/30/2009 - 17:02. – wallstnation.com

“Its make-it or break-it time next week when investors

look to the Labor Department's Unemployment Report for October, let's hope its good.  With the market jumping 200 points in either direction on bascially "headlines" this week, the October payrolls report that is delivered next Friday (Nov 6th) could really jolt the system.”…   read more

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End Of COBRA Subsidy Rattles Newly Unemployed

By Rick Schmitt – Kaiser health news
Oct 28, 2009

“Laura C. Trueman has spent much of her career promoting affordable health care.  Now, she wishes she could find some herself. 

Laid off from her marketing job at a managed-care company late last year, Trueman was able to keep her health insurance thanks to a provision in the federal stimulus bill that gave furloughed workers the right to purchase their old employer-based coverage at a 65% discount.  The subsidies, which last up to nine months, were designed to give workers like Trueman time to get back on their feet.”       read more

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Gov't may say recession over but not job losses

AP - Tue Oct 27th, 2009 4:07 PM EDT

“WASHINGTON – “It's about to become official: The recession is over — but not the pain.

The government will release figures this week expected to show that the economy has awakened from its deepest slump since the 1930s and is in the early stages of a recovery. But the following week, the government will issue another set of figures expected to show unemployment continuing to rise toward and possibly above a clearly recessionary 10 percent.

How can both be possible?”...      read more

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Unemployment benefits extension still tied up with amendments

October 25, 4:46 PM Chicago Economic Policy Examiner James McConnell

 “The cloture vote in the Senate on extending unemployment benefits for an additional 14 weeks in all states, and 20 weeks in states with more than 8.5% unemployment, set for last Friday didn’t happen. The vote is rescheduled for Tuesday afternoon, depending on whether or not Senators can agree on proposed amendments on extending and expanding the homebuyer tax credit in the stimulus package, and extending business loss tax carry back provisions an additional two or three years.”...     read more

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U.S. Initial Jobless Claims Rose More Than Forecast

By Shobhana Chandra
bloomberg.com

“Oct. 22 (Bloomberg) -- More Americans than forecast filed claims for unemployment benefits last week, a reminder that the labor market will be slow to recover.”...

 read more

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Chicago area unemployment hits 10.1 percent

Chicago Sun-Times

BY DAVID ROEDER - droeder@suntimes.com

October 22, 2009

“The Chicago’s area’s unemployment rate rose in September to 10.1 percent, state officials said today.”...

read more

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 White House sees unemployment staying high

Jobless rate seen 'severely elevated' despite predicted GDP growth

The Wall Street Journal

By Robert Schroeder, MarketWatch - Oct. 22, 2009, 12:53 p.m. EDT

“WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- The number of jobless Americans is likely to remain "severely elevated" despite a predicted return to economic growth in the third quarter of the year, a top White House economic adviser told Congress on Thursday.

"With predicted growth right around two and a half percent for most of the next year and a half, movements in the unemployment rate either up or down are likely to be small," White House Council of Economic Advisers Chair Christina Romer told the Joint Economic Committee.” …   read more

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 Jobless claims dent recovery hopes

Initial claims jump 11,000 to 531,000, much more than expected. Filings had fallen five of the past six weeks.

By Julianne Pepitone, CNNMoney.com staff reporter

Last Updated: October 22, 2009: 9:19 AM ET

“NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The number of first-time filers for unemployment insurance rose last week, snapping two weeks of significant declines, according to a government report issued Thursday.

There were 531,000 initial jobless claims filed in the week ended Oct. 17, up 11,000 from an upwardly revised 520,000 the previous week, the Labor Department said in a weekly report. The week included the Columbus Day holiday.”…  read more

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 September unemployment rate rises in 23 states

The Washington Post – Thursday, October 22, 2009

By David M. Dickson

“Even as the manufacturing and service sectors of the U.S. economy simultaneously expanded in September for the first time since the recession began in December 2007, payrolls declined in 43 states last month, pushing up the unemployment rates in 23 of them.”…  read more…

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 GOP continues to stall vote on unemployment benefits extension bill

gather.com - October 14, 2009 05:46 PM EDT

“Senate Republicans continue to prevent Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) from bringing House bill H.R. 3548 - which would give a federal extension to unemployment benefits - to the floor of the Senate for a debate and vote, as Reid tried to do late last week and this Tuesday. GOP members object to the funding mechanism for the bill, which would require an extension of the federal unemployment surtax for an additional 18 months. Instead they apparently want to use unspent stimulus funds.”…  read more…

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Will High Unemployment Strangle the Recovery?

By Don Miller - Money Morning
Associate Editor

“The worst recession since the Great Depression has already eliminated 7.2 million jobs, and analysts figure 750,000 more jobs could disappear over the next six months. That means the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama may be forced to employ a second stimulus if it wants to preserve the fledgling recovery that has carried the Dow Jones Industrial Average back above 10,000”…  read more…

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 Editorial

The Unemployed Wait

NYTimes.com - Published: October 16, 2009

“More than a million jobless Americans are in danger of losing benefits by the end of the year unless Congress passes an extension of unemployment insurance. The House has acted, but the Senate, which has a better bill, has been bogged down by obstruction from Republicans. In these extraordinarily hard times, Congress should extend this vital safety net without further delay.”…   read more…

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White House tries to jolt job growth

POLITICO

By NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON | 10/15/09 5:13 AM EDT

“The White House has stepped up its efforts to jump-start job growth, with President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Cabinet members all touting positive effects of the $787 billion stimulus package.

Yet with the unemployment rate hovering just below 10 percent, Republicans are ramping up their efforts to put the still-faltering economy at the center of the debate — a preview of their 2010 campaign strategy”…   read more…

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 Snowe Votes With Democrats, Senate Panel Passes Health Care Reform

Posted:  10/13/09

Filed Under:The Capitolist

“In a major victory for Democrats, the Senate Finance Committee voted 14 to 9 to pass its version of health care reform Tuesday afternoon. All Democrats on the committee and Maine Republican Olympia Snowe voted in favor of the bill, while the remaining nine Republicans voted against it. In explaining her vote, Snowe said the bill "bolsters what works in the system," adding, "Is this bill all that I would want? Far from it. But when history calls, history calls."

read more…

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Homeowners Fail To Take Advantage of Obama Refinance Relief-- Are You Missing Out?

Godwin Alexander - WalletPop.Com

Posted: 10/13/2009 11:00:00 PM CT

"Last April, president Obama launched a housing relief plan to help millions of homeowners. Since then, less than 100,000 homeowners have used the plan to refinance. The government is making every effort to expand the reach of the program and encourage homeowners to refinance into more affordable mortgages. For homeowners considering refinancing, or looking to save their home from foreclosure, Obama's plan is still active, and may be able to help"…

read more…

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FDIC looks to stave off foreclosures amid unemployment

The Denver Post

Posted: 10/11/2009 01:00:00 AM MDT

"With the nation's unemployment rate still high, federal regulators are intensifying efforts to curb the effects of job losses or underemployment before they fuel another wave of home foreclosures"…

read more…

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Just Don't Call It a Jobs Stimulus

The Washington Post

By E.J. Dionne Jr.                 

Thursday, October 8, 2009

"From the moment it secures a health-care bill -- yes, it will get one -- right through the 2010 midterm elections, the Obama administration will be all about jobs, jobs, jobs"…

read more…

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Job competition toughest since recession began

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Many jobless workers may soon lose COBRA subsidy

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National Briefing | Washington

Deal on Jobless Benefits

Will California become America's first failed state?

October 2009 - guardian.co.uk

"Los Angeles, 2009: California may be the eighth largest economy in the world, but its state government is issuing IOUs, unemployment is at its highest in 70 years, and teachers are on hunger strike. So what has gone so catastrophically wrong"???

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Jobless lose lifeline as Senate stalls

White House Calls For Extension Of Unemployment Benefits, Touts Bipartisan Support For Health Care Reform

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As Layoffs Persist, Good Jobs Go Unfilled

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AP - Sat Oct 3rd, 2009 2:46 PM EDT