[Unemployed Americans]

Originally Posted by Buzz123

I agree with you. However I must point out a couple of things to y'all. First of all, unemployment is for a maximum of 26 weeks if one has earned enough to get the max. Secondly, you and I pay absolutely nothing toward unemployment insurance. It is paid 100% by the employers in all but one or two states back east.

Also it is never enough to live on. It is only a stipend to help you in your work search.

Here are the facts. IF YOU HAVE EVER BEEN EMPLOYED YOU HAVE HAD MONEY TAKEN FROM YOUR CHECK TO PAY FOR UI REGARDLESS OF YOUR STATE!!! If you have worked for 20-years, and EVERY WEEK $ was taken from you to help those who have lost their job, then when YOU find yourself jobless thru no fault of your own - it is your RIGHT to collect UI while searching for a new job.

[Unemployed Americans]

Originally Posted by Unemployed Americans

Here are the facts. IF YOU HAVE EVER BEEN EMPLOYED YOU HAVE HAD MONEY TAKEN FROM YOUR CHECK TO PAY FOR UI REGARDLESS OF YOUR STATE!!! If you have worked for 20-years, and EVERY WEEK $ was taken from you to help those who have lost their job, then when YOU find yourself jobless thru no fault of your own - it is your RIGHT to collect UI while searching for a new job.

p.s. Employers don't fully pay the unemployed, if you become unemplyed the employers insurance increases SLIGHTLY! It is no skin off the employers back. WE, the American workforce (just like Social Security) are paying/contributing for our own UI.

[las vegas drunk]

Originally Posted by Unemployed Americans

Here are the facts. IF YOU HAVE EVER BEEN EMPLOYED YOU HAVE HAD MONEY TAKEN FROM YOUR CHECK TO PAY FOR UI REGARDLESS OF YOUR STATE!!! If you have worked for 20-years, and EVERY WEEK $ was taken from you to help those who have lost their job, then when YOU find yourself jobless thru no fault of your own - it is your RIGHT to collect UI while searching for a new job.

You're right, but it is NOT right to collect unemployment if you are not looking for a job like the OP's situation.

[Buzz123]

Originally Posted by Unemployed Americans

Here are the facts. IF YOU HAVE EVER BEEN EMPLOYED YOU HAVE HAD MONEY TAKEN FROM YOUR CHECK TO PAY FOR UI REGARDLESS OF YOUR STATE!!! If you have worked for 20-years, and EVERY WEEK $ was taken from you to help those who have lost their job, then when YOU find yourself jobless thru no fault of your own - it is your RIGHT to collect UI while searching for a new job.

Most of that is about as wrong as you can get. At least the part about where UI comes from. It is called unemployment insurance for a reason ...it is an insurance policy paid for 100% by all the employers. Not one penny comes from your paycheck, and no, employers would not give it to you if they didn't have to pay it.

No they aren't paying your weekly check directly, but the more their former employees file for UI, the higher their "premiums" become up to a point. It's called their experience rating. Only one state that I can think of, New York, takes a tiny little bit out of your check towards UI. There may be one or two others, but that's it. Unemployment INSURANCE is funded 100% by the Federal government, although the states collect the tax, and the states make their own UI laws to the extent that they follow strict Federal guidelines. Believe me, the Feds monitor everything they do at ESD. When I worked there we had to constantly watch our Ps & Qs in case the guy in front of us was a Fed investigator.

In Nevada, employers pay a slight extra amount added on by the state to fund the Career Enhancement Program (CEP). The goal of CEP is to provide a trained and ready workforce to the employers of this state.

How do I know this? I know where my retirement check comes from, and it doesn't come from you guys ...period. I worked at the Nevada Employment Security Division (ESD) of the Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation (DETR) for 14 years.

[Jukesgrrl]

Buzz123, thanks for those sensible remarks. After more than 40 years in the workforce I find myself unemployed due to the antics of some so-called leveraged buy-out "specialists" who bankrupted the company I worked for.

So I'm now absolutely, utterly amazed to find how many people think they're "supporting me." It doesn't seem to occur to very many people that my previous decades of work figure in to the pittance I'm collecting now.

JM95, may I remind you (or inform you if you never knew this before) that unemployment compensation is NOT welfare. It's an insurance pay-out that is perfectly legal for me to collect since I have more than 540 months-worth of premiums paid into the system. Not to mention that I loved my job. I'd be perfectly happy to still be doing it and I think the vast majority of unemployment collectors feel the same way.

To the OP: Some states/counties have education funds available to get the unemployed job training for a different field than the one they are in. And usually you are allowed to collect while you are training. However, general four-year college degrees don't count as "job training" these days . If no one's answering the phone, is there a Website you could consult? I've been able to do all my unemployment interactions via the Internet and my home state isn't usually known for its deluxe public services. If we want to phone in, we have a particular day of the week assigned to us based on the last digit of our SSNs. Also, you could go to the office in person. You might have to stand in line awhile, but to get a question answered, you probably wouldn't be in the same line as people filing forms.

[Buzz123]

You can go to any of the Nevada DETR offices for help finding a job. They have resource centers in case you need to apply on line, or look up jobs on a computer. They have job listings that they've located for you. They'll let you create resumes and make copies, use their fax, file for unemployment on their phones or computers, and if you don't have a phone you can use theirs for interviews, etc. They have a library of books on how to write resumes and cover letters. (Never forget that the cover letter is probably more important than the resume).

You may be eligible for the CEP too. Just ask to see a CEP Rep. They also pay for your work cards and fingerprinting if you get a job offer that requires them. Sometimes tools and work clothes too. And possibly short term job training either in a school or OJT.

Employment Security Division Job Seeker Services

Remember though, the only one that can really find you a job is you. Don't fall for scams that promise you they'll help you get a job for a fee.

As far as the top worst things that can happen, surveys show that losing a job ranks up there with a death in the family. If uncle Harry passes, he'd want you to stop grieving and move on. Do the same with job loss. Acknowledge it and move on to the next big opportunity in your life ...which of course you are going to create. Forget the stats and the gloom and doom in the papers. The best thing you can do for yourself and those you are responsible for is to never agree. Just never agree.

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by Buzz123

Unemployment INSURANCE is funded 100% by the Federal government, although the states collect the tax, and the states make their own UI laws to the extent that they follow strict Federal guidelines. Believe me, the Feds monitor everything they do at ESD. When I worked there we had to constantly watch our Ps & Qs in case the guy in front of us was a Fed investigator.

From the Illinois website which may clarify some of teh misconceptions of the prior poster:
About Unemployment Insurance (UI)

This program is a state-federal partnership, financed by two different employer taxes. First, state employment security agencies (SESA's) collect quarterly employer contributions (taxes) in order to pay unemployment benefits to eligible, unemployed workers. Secondly, the federal government funds the administrative costs of the employment security programs in each state through a quarterly federal unemployment tax (FUTA).





My take:


The states set the SUTA rate and different states have SIGNIFICANTLY different payouts. When my wife was laid off as a Missouri employee, she was paid about 40% of the amount that her co-workers received in Massachusetts.

[dynimagelv]

no wonder you're unemployed if yo think that....

[Buzz123]

Originally Posted by jlawrence01

From the Illinois website which may clarify some of the misconceptions of the prior poster:
About Unemployment Insurance (UI)

This program is a state-federal partnership, financed by two different employer taxes. First, state employment security agencies (SESA's) collect quarterly employer contributions (taxes) in order to pay unemployment benefits to eligible, unemployed workers. Secondly, the federal government funds the administrative costs of the employment security programs in each state through a quarterly federal unemployment tax (FUTA).





My take:


The states set the SUTA rate and different states have SIGNIFICANTLY different payouts. When my wife was laid off as a Missouri employee, she was paid about 40% of the amount that her co-workers received in Massachusetts.

As in all UI offices in every state, the local offices take interstate claims for every state and U.S. possession, plus Canadian Claims and Military claims. So we have to become familiar with almost sixty different sets of UI Laws; most of all our own. Add to that that every case is different and you've got some pretty complicated laws to deal with as a claims examiner. It's really a wonder that we could keep it all straight. But it is no wonder there are so many misconceptions about UI. And you are correct, every state sets the weekly maximum. That's why we would tell ex-military people which states they could go to and get more money. We were actually amazed for years that Nevada paid more than California. We were not surprised that the Socialist Republic of California was more liberal in UI laws than other states though. But even they have to stay within Federal guidelines.

Here's the U.S. Dept. of Labor page I think you are referring to.
State Unemployment Insurance Benefits, Employment & Training Administration (ETA) - U.S. Department of Labor

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by Buzz123

That's why we would tell ex-military people which states they could go to and get more money. We were actually amazed for years that Nevada paid more than California. We were not surprised that the Socialist Republic of California was more liberal in UI laws than other states though. But even they have to stay within Federal guidelines.

My wife was pretty upset that she was getting $185 per week from Missouri and her subordinates back east were getting $500.

OTOH, despite being laid off twice over the years, she has NOT collected a penny as in both cases, she was able to land a job in 10 days through her personal networking.

BTW, is it still true in some states that a retired military retiree can nopt collect unemployment in many states?