December 6, 2011
69,700 North Carolinians To Lose Unemployment Insurance Lifeline Unless Congress Acts Before January 1st
NC State AFL-CIO, PO Box 10805, Raleigh, NC 27605
For Immediate Release
Contact: Jeremy Sprinkle, Communications Director, 919-833-6678, jeremy@aflcionc.org;
69,700 NORTH CAROLINIANS TO LOSE UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE LIFELINE UNLESS CONGRESS ACTS BEFORE JANUARY 1ST
New state by state numbers show the devastating impact on North Carolina jobless workers
http://uistories.aflcio.org/NC
As families prepare for the holiday, a new report released by the AFL-CIO shows that 69,700 North Carolinians will lose their unemployment benefits on December 31st if Congress fails to act to extend unemployment insurance.
“As a jobless American, I pray every night for a job and then hit the pavement every morning looking for one. If Congress doesn’t extend unemployment insurance, come next year, I’ll lose the last lifeline I have for myself and my family as we struggle to get through the biggest challenge of our lifetime,” said David Cottrell of High Point.
In North Carolina as well as across the country, jobless workers and their communities will be holding vigils on Thursday December 8 to call attention to the ongoing jobs crisis and to urge Congress to take immediate action and extend unemployment benefits.
According to the report, young people and people of color will be disproportionately impacted if benefits are cut. Here in North Carolina the unemployment rate for young people 20 to 24 years old is 18.4 percent for African Americans is 17.4 percent and Latinos is 10.7 percent.
The average benefit provided by the federal extension amounts to $296 a week, which covers a family’s minimum expenses for survival. That money is pumped directly back into the local economy when jobless workers pay for groceries, transportation, utilities, and housing. Currently, 1 in 1,449 homes in North Carolina face foreclosure and the problem will only worsen if federal unemployment insurance extension is not passed.
“With 1 job opening for about every 5 jobseekers and the continued obstruction of job creating legislation, Republicans in Congress and their special interest friends have placed working families in an impossible situation,” said James Andrews, president of the NC State AFL-CIO. “If Rep. Renee Ellmers and Rep. Howard Coble truly prioritize the needs of North Carolinians over tax cuts for the richest 1 percent, they will act now to pass the unemployment insurance benefit extension.”
To view the full data and stories of unemployed workers in North Carolina visit: http://uistories.aflcio.org/NC
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Part of the issue here in NC is the state is “at will”. Employers are allowed to let employees go for whatever reason they deem appropriate to fit their culture. However, this policy is very much abused. I have been terminated from 2 jobs unjustly. Prior to relocating here, I was never terminated from any job. Additionally, I have two teens who have been treated the same way. The young generation is being used in the work force.They are given minimal hours at random. Then let go or never made permanent. How are they to pay for school or establish themselves as young adults?? I can only pray Congress approves the extension. That’s just a band aid on a bigger issue. Get to the root of the problem.