Millions to lose Unemployment Benefits if Congress doesn't act now.

[JamesA1102]

State Unemployment Commissioners Implore Congress To Reauthorize Benefits Extensions

Labor commissioners and unemployment-agency officials from several states joined a coalition of labor and advocacy groups Monday to implore Congress to reauthorize unemployment benefits extensions set to expire at the end of the year. If Congress doesn't act before its Christmas recess -- and it might not -- one million jobless workers will run out of benefits in January.
...

There are measures pending in both chambers of Congress to extend benefits and COBRA health insurance subsidies for laid-off workers, but it's not clear that lawmakers will act before they leave town for their Christmas break on Dec. 18.

On Dec. 3, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said she hoped the House could reauthorize benefits and COBRA subsidies before then. In a statement to Huff Post, an aide to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Reid is working to extend the programs but didn't say when it would happen.
...

After a delay caused by Senate Republicans, Congress passed a 14-week extension (20 weeks in states with high jobless rates) on Nov. 4. But that extension was to provisions of the stimulus bill which will expire after Dec. 31.

So unless Congress makes a move in the next two weeks, come January, anyone who exhausts their unemployment insurance will be ineligible for the next tier of extended benefits.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/07/state-unemployment-commis_n_382654.html

Everyone needs to call their Senators and Member of Congress to get them to move on this ASAP.

[marketcrazy1]

1. when these people drop off the rolls

they will no longer be counted as unemployed in the headline number, look for
"unexpected" declines in unemployment for the next few months through march 2010 if they do not fix this........ or is that the plan..

[JamesA1102]

2. What I find a real disappointment is

how most here have ignored this. So many here are slaming Obama because he's not doing enough to help people yet here is an opportunity for them to help people but they're not interested. My guess is that most here really don't care about the welfare of other people as they claim but are just pretending to in order to slam politician who they don't like.

[pinqy]

3. Yes they will

In the 68 years the US has been calculating the Unemployment levels and Unemployment rate, eligibility for UI benefits has NEVER been part of the definition or calculations. The Unemployment rate comes from a survey...if you did not work during the reference week and actively looked for work in the previous 4 weeks, you are unemployed regardless of whether or not you've ever received or applied for UI and regardless of how long you've been unemployed.