The recession has erased 6.5 million jobs since it began in December 2007, and hundreds of thousands of people without jobs are now preparing for the next big blow: the loss of their unemployment benefits.



Hundreds of thousands of Americans will start running out of their basic unemployment benefits over the next few weeks, with more than 650,000 people losing their unemployment benefits by September. A total of 4.4 million people, or about two-thirds of the entire population of people who have filed for unemployment, are expected to see their benefits expire.



The problem: There just aren't any jobs out there. The Labor Department's report on job openings showed 2.6 million job openings on the last day of May, with a job opening rate of 1.9%. The rate is the percentage of total jobs that are open for hiring on the last business day of a given month. The higher the rate, the greater the supply of open jobs. The job opening rate peaked at about 3.4% in the middle of 2007. The May hires rate was 3%, the lowest rate since data were first tracked in December 2000.



June data will be released on August 12.



"We need to get the issue attention now, because people are running out of benefits and there's just nothing for them," Andrew Stettner, deputy director of the National Employment Law Project, told CNNMoney.com. The National Employment Law Project is an advocacy group that has calculated the number of people who will exhaust their unemployment benefits.



In most states, unemployed workers get a maximum 26 weeks of state-funded benefits. Two extension programs may also be available for an additional 53 weeks of benefits, however.



More than 20,000 Pennsylvanians will run out of unemployment benefits in coming days, which is the first big group to reach the expiration worry. State lawmakers are considering legislation to tap into federal funds so they can extend benefits for seven weeks. In May, emergency legislation allowed New York to extend unemployment insurance benefits for more than 120,000 New Yorkers, including about 56,000 people whose benefits had been set to expire at the end of the month.



The Labor Department's data on continuing claims does not track people who are still unemployed after the guaranteed 26 weeks of benefits expire. Continuing claims are the number of people who request benefits after their first week.



"We will see a decline in continuing filers," Stettner said. "People are falling out of these numbers, and the pace of more recent layoffs replacing them is not as steep."

Wow! this is really bad news. What the heck is gonna happen when 650,000 people have no benefits, no money? Housing to crash further I assume. With an expected 4.4 million people to lose the benefits with no jobs out there we are in big big trouble.

Goodluck to any of you who are here that have benefits running out soon.

One thing that has been brought up on another thread. Is that we could actually see the "official" unemployment rate drop when in actuality it's just people coming off of unemployment.

Is it just me or do you also see a train wreck in the making? You can pretty up the numbers, but you can't pretty up the reality of the job market.

before i start, please read my full text before commenting. really dont mean to sound like an ass. first a little about me, 26yrs old mechanic. working since 14. ex army. i have been fortunate to make good money and be able to save at my last job. i quit my job in april(sounds dumb considering economy) spent the summer relaxin with kids, now, im job hunting. despite what i heard about there being no jobs, i have been hired at two places one around $20 and the other $26 an hour. but i gota move outa state to cali of all places to work. my point is. keep your head up people. there are hundreds of jobs on craigslist or indeed just to name a few. so you might have to switch careers or move, but there are jobs. why wait until unemployment runs out before you get in gear and start worrying. and i know there are honestly people that are trying to get work and god bless you and good luck, but there is always a way. dont be dependant on the gov help. they arent looking out for you or i. do it on your own, be smart and save if possible. prayers are with people if this story is true to that degree. this situation and economy is terrible

Originally posted by Kingfanpaul, Goodluck to any of you who are here that have benefits running out soon.

Well, I am one of those people that their benefit has just this week ended. I was laid off on March 7th-it takes Texas two weeks to process UI Claims + you have to wait an addtional week for your first week benefit. I have lost count how many jobs I have applied for. I didnt get my first interview until June. I have had only four in more than four months. My benefit only paid my mortage. I was recieving $290 per wk. Unlike other Americans I had a savings and I was not behind on any bill. The credit card companies first whammy was to raise rates- not becasue I was behind- because I wasnt. In fact, I always pay more than the min and always early. No, because others did not.

In my Industry there has always been more jobs than workers- not so now. I have several years experiance, hold all endorsements including a Twic (issued by DHS/TSA)- yet I cannot find a job that pays more than $12.00 hr. Some say great... well I was making more than $1000 a wk. My entire division was laid off in a few days time, myself, my co-driver and another team were the last to go. Oh, btw I search every day, send out resumes, call ppl, email and go fill out an application.

I havent lost hope- but I am almost out of money.

[edit on 21-7-2009 by ShadowMaster]

[edit on 21-7-2009 by ShadowMaster]

I just started on my unemployment. I have pretty much given up hope for finding a job in my industry for now. I trade penny stocks all day, started my own garden and brushed up on my survival skills.


The people who's unemployment runs out with resort to crime or become homeless. Or both.

The worse is yet to come

All those unemployed want to go take a job at the military , there's always going to be wars. At least its looking that way with the US.

J/K

No, what the unemployed should do is all travel to the WhiteHouse and lobby them to actually stop the wars, stop wasting money on military endeavours that prove fruitless and pointless. maybe 2-3 million walking down the streets and surrounding the WH would make them realise that wars not the way to win over the hearts and minds of the people.

Being a mechanic you have a set of marketable skills. There will always be a need for car mechanics. Kind of like healthcare. If you are going to work for $20-$26 an hour in CA good luck. That's no where near enough to live on and raise a family out here.

Don't worry ya'll, Obama's gonna save the day and all those jobs he promised will be popping up here real soon.

The unemployment my other half gets will be ending soon as well I think, although I have heard of others collecting for a longer period. The only thing is, they pay you based on quarterly income for so many past quarters, so after a year of unemployment, it will get cut. He is a 44 year old veteran who has worked since he was 16 and still can't get a job and it's surely not for a lack of trying. He makes the full amount and if it continues past October it will be almost cut in half, which is impossible to live on. I have two jobs, but combined, we would nto be able to survive on that with the cost of living here. He is so past ready to go back to work. We are in NC and he has looked in GA, SC, TN, VA and here. Also, he's willing to drive for an hour or so each way if need be.

I have applied for assistance to get insurance for my daughter and I don't qualify, and I had the lady check to see if he would and of course he doesn't qualify either - go figure no job. We have no bills really, only a house payment, two of three cars are paid for and utilities and in no way live past our means. They base it on your gross pay, not taking into consideration you have deductions for taxes and such and basic living expenses. It's BS. Even the lady at social services told me she agrees that is wrong.

The government needs to extend more benefits to those unemployed and quit handing it out to crooked banks and corporations and stupid, ridiculous causes like all those earmarks in the so called stimulous package. Quit assisting other countries and assist the taxpaying citizens of this country who are now struggling like never before. They and the crooked banks and insurers created this and they should darned well help out. Yes, all these jobs were promised but where I live, there are more being laid off still. One factory is going to hire around three hundred people in the next year, but you are talking about 300 jobs for I'd guess at least 10 times the amount of people looking for work. One of the last jobs he applied for has over 800 applicants for one job. He at least make the cut into the 100 applications they kept.

I've read that tens of millions of US dollars per month make their way to Mexico, yet a nation of 300 million plus will have up to 3 million people off unemployment, no assistance, many homeless, health-care a world joke ?

Jeepers, you've got to get it through to those thick-heads in government that the freebie billions to Israel have to stop now ... and forever.

Originally posted by Hastobemoretolife
One thing that has been brought up on another thread. Is that we could actually see the "official" unemployment rate drop when in actuality it's just people coming off of unemployment.

Is it just me or do you also see a train wreck in the making? You can pretty up the numbers, but you can't pretty up the reality of the job market.

I was just researching this for the "Big Thread", apparently everyone who is to roll off unemployment is already not considered on U3 unemployment reports..

They are still being removed after 26 weeks, even if they do get extensions.. This is according to the US Labor bureau..

Which explains why last months nearly 400k newly unemployed only increased the unemployment rate by .1%.