Trying to hire and they are all "Drawing"

[Reverend Blair]

You are right, employee and employer both pay into the program. You need to work a certain number of hours to qualify and then you get a % of what you used to earn. There is a cap on how much you can get on unemployment insurance per week, no matter how much you used to make.

In Canada the government took a bunch of money (can't remember the exact amount, but it was several billion) out of the EI fund to pay down the deficit because there was a surplus. It's not doing as well now, but it's not that bad.

Reverend Blair, As well your memory is correct, the government stole a few billon dollars from the unemployment fund to help pay off some of the deficit. This money actually belonged to the people who had paid into it. They really should have lowered the premium that employee and employer had to pay.

Sweettractors, There are lots on people on unemployement that don稚 want to be on it. I would contact your unemployement office even if it is 30 miles away. They must have some clients that live in your area. Good luck finding someone.

I thought they should have taken that money and increased benefits, Mousefield. Specifically, I would give benefits to people who want to take long-term university or community college courses and provide benefits and training to those who want to start their own businesses. That's the way to get people out of the unemployment cycle in the long run.

I see little point in shuffling people from one low-pay, low benefit job to the next with periods of unemployment in between.

I noticed that the present government, as much as they screamed about it when in opposition, hasn't done anything to address paying back the money to the EI fund though. Makes me grateful for the existence of the third party.

 

[beenthere]

Have you posted your vacancy with the unemployement office since part of their job is to find jobs for the unemployeed ???? You'll get a lot of dead wood if you're offering less than welfare wages. MikeD74T

One problem is the Unemployment Office instructs them how to apply for a job.

They are instructed to ask how much the job pays early in any interview. When told the pay, they are told to get up and leave immediately saying "too low".

It is truly a sad situation that just gets worse.

Getting rid of the endless paperwork required of business's would be a big help.

We need business's hiring people. The Gov't cannot continue to hire people just to keep the unemployment count down. It has happened for too long. Time to stop now.

 

[MikeD74T]

One problem is the Unemployment Office instructs them how to apply for a job.

They are instructed to ask how much the job pays early in any interview. When told the pay, they are told to get up and leave immediately saying "too low".

It is truly a sad situation that just gets worse.

Getting rid of the endless paperwork required of business's would be a big help.

We need business's hiring people. The Gov't cannot continue to hire people just to keep the unemployment count down. It has happened for too long. Time to stop now.

While speaking not about any business in particular, business in this country has long been about greed. Unemployement is good for business because it allows business to pay low wages, employ multiple part time workers (without any benefit eligibility) instead of full timers, and generally complain that government is too restrictive on their greedy practices. Government pays unemployment stipends to unproductive workers partly because business fought hard to prevent government from putting these unemployed to useful purpose. While it was not liked by everyone the WPA put unemployeed Americans to work building parks, roads, and other useful projects that serve Americans to this day. Business complained of unfair competition. Today even our military is run and over run by private business (contractors) leaching huge profits from taxpayers. Unfortunately government & big business are the same people. MikeD74T

 

[coffeeman]

In IL past wage history and number of dependents (with an upper limit) is the determining factor on what someone draws. I have no idea what they actually draw though. Used to be what the average person earned in 1 1/2-2 days.
They're not living high on the hog on UE alone.
Some are drawing UE, have a Link card (food stamps), and getting assistance with their utility bills.

And... if they are lucky enough to not own a house or property; they have good health care....free.

 

[coffeeman]

I was on unemployment for about 3 months back in 2008.

I was making like $396 per week. After the federal taxes cane out, that was about $325 into my account EVERY WEEK. I didn't even look at several jobls in the 11-13 per hour range. Even though my pride told me I needed a job, by the time taxes came out and travel expenses, I would still only be making $325 per week. I though, why settle when I can keep looking. Fortunatly, the right job cam up and I got back to work.
.

A good employee will listen to those who pay them. So.... If govern pays one $500.00 a week to stay home; they'll do it.

Cheers

 

[Cat_Driver]

Unions also have tainted the workers. I had a buddy that was making Union money at $35.00 and hour BUT he would only work maybe a month a year.

So I showed hi several jobs willing to hire him NON Union at $15-$20.00 and hour and he would work 12 months a year. Nope he refused unless he got his $35.00 and hour he wasn't going to budge.

Heck he could have worked at McDonalds all year and make more than his one moth a year Union Job.

 

[coffeeman]

Why would any one WANT to work when you say sit on you back side and watch Oprah all day long, go to Vegas, cruises, and on and on - even Hawaii.

Think about it, the Gubment give people nearly $400.00 a week, free food stamps, free medical, free cell phones with minutes - what employer can compete with that.

Thousands of documents show tens of millions of welfare dollars have been spent out of state, some at vacation resorts. The discovery is leading to new legislation to prevent welfare abuse.

A Los Angeles Times analysis found $69 million was spent outside state lines during a three and a half year period beginning in January 2007 at tourist destinations like Las Vegas, Hawaiian beaches and cruise ships in Florida. Critics call that "taxpayer-funded vacations" at a time when taxpayers can't afford one themselves.

"These are for folks that are hurting, that are out of job, and you see that money is spent on a cruise, then obviously, it's fraudulent," says Gaines.

Benefits are deposited electronically onto welfare cards that are used like a debit card in stores or to withdraw cash at certain ATMs.

The Times analysis found nearly $12 million was spent in Las Vegas, $1.5 million in Florida, $387,908 in Hawaii, and $16,010 withdrawn from ATMs on cruise ships.

"When people go on assistance, they're going to have the same kind of life situations come up as anyone else. You're going to visit your sick relative. You're going to go to funerals out-of-state. That's what's going on here," says Mike Herald from the Western Center on Law and Poverty.

Another problem is when welfare recipients don't use certain ATMs, taxpayers pick up those extra fees. Last year, the state paid more than $11 million in ATM surcharges, and we'll likely surpass that this year because bank fees have gone up.

So why work when can go on a cruise or Vegas on the government?

Gee...Vegas seems 10 times more popular than Hawaii.

 

[Duffster]

Where is everyone getting the idea that EI is payed by the gov't? I realize the extensions are but EI is paid by the employer (or th employee, depending on how you look at it). I don't consider someone on EI to be "on the dole" like a welfare recipient is.

 

[Reverend Blair]

Unions also have tainted the workers. I had a buddy that was making Union money at $35.00 and hour BUT he would only work maybe a month a year.

So I showed hi several jobs willing to hire him NON Union at $15-$20.00 and hour and he would work 12 months a year. Nope he refused unless he got his $35.00 and hour he wasn't going to budge.

Heck he could have worked at McDonalds all year and make more than his one moth a year Union Job.

Have unions tainted the workers, or have corporations eroded wages? Average wages, when adjusted for cost of living, have declined massively over the years. At the same time corporate profits have risen and wages and bonuses paid to CEOs have skyrocketed.

I don't think blaming the unions for getting their members decent wages and benefits is the real issue, I think it's that so many non-unionized employees are paid so poorly.

 

[johnrex62]

UI up here must be different, you can only draw so long based on how long you paid in, and the checks are like 70% of your pay but only up to like 30,000$ per year. What you pay in depends on the unemployment rate in that industry, ie seasonal jobs they take a lot out.

My sister was laid off from a minimum wage job, she immediately had to find other full time min wage work as 70% less tax isn't enough to pay the mortgage. Welfare here is probably less than 40% of full time min wage.

It once was that way here too. Before the presidential mandated extensions of UE benefits, the states collected insurance premiums and paid out 13-26 weeks of benefits and considered an additional period on a case by case basis. As long as you showed a good faith effort to get a job and had a reasonable outlook on what job you would take, it was usually approved for one additional period. Bad attitude, poor skills and unreasonable expectations, etc and you only got the one benefit period.

The Federal govt mandates took the ability to decline benefits away from the states and forced them to keep paying long after the insurance ran out.