A friend is freaking out about his-

[daves87rs]

..unemployment issue. He's had it really tough (someone stole his Silverado a few months ago), and he has pretty much been forced to use these extentions to help keep his family afloat.

Long and short of the issue is that since there was a delay in the last extention, he has done his "certs" online, but has yet to get a deposit. He figured that it might take a few weeks, but it has over a month. Calling the state EO didn't help either, as one told him he should get it soon, and the other said he has to file all over again. So he is really confused. I've tried to research a bit, but to no avail. I know nothing about it myself, as I have never been on unemployment myself. So I figured someone might have some advice that I could give to him. He has an interview next week, and I am hoping for the best for him. It's been a rough go here in MI, and I can only hope it gets better....

 

[Bill in Utah]

The best thing is to get ANY job. Even if its so far out of what you normally do.

The old saying "it's easier to get a job when you have a job" is so true.

Waiting on the state or anyone else is not going to get things done. He needs to look in the mirror and that is the person who NEEDS to get it done.

Good luck for him!

Bill

 

[river_rat]

Best hopes and prayers for the guy.
Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah
The best thing is to get ANY job. Even if its so far out of what you normally do.

That's for sure. A fella's lucky to be working anywhere these days.

 

[daves87rs]

Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah
The best thing is to get ANY job. Even if its so far out of what you normally do.

The old saying "it's easier to get a job when you have a job" is so true.

Waiting on the state or anyone else is not going to get things done. He needs to look in the mirror and that is the person who NEEDS to get it done.

Good luck for him!

Bill



Oh, he's tried. He worked at K mart for a week, but they decided they didn't need him...


It's pretty sad when my local Taco Bell gets 100+ apps foe a simple part time position...

 

[doitmyself]

Things are so bad in Michigan......."How bad is it?".......We can't even enjoy making fun of California.

I assume he knows about all the Michigan Works programs (no worker left behind)? My son in law lost his auto mfg. job and is now employed after getting retrained.

Ya, it's a pain in the behind program because it is state run, but it helps some people.

http://michiganworks.org/

Best wishes for your friend. It's going to get worse, unfortunately. The school system is a shambles.

 

[rclint]

I 100% disagree with Bill, if he can get unemployment then wait it out, find odd jobs cutting grass, doing yard work whatever. I'm not one for trying to mess over the government, or unemployment as it's our money paying, however I have seen people take jobs paying less money than unemployment ...then you count gas/travel expense in. I know this sounds bad, however when it comes to food on the table for your family you must choose what matters first.

I hope your friend gets a good job, times are bad to put it mild, if he can find some odd jobs to tide him over until his unemployment gets back on track, and maybe during that time until he can find a job that will sustain his family that would be what my suggestion.

When I say this I'm not trying to entertain the notion of him needing a lifestyle above his means, and accepting nothing less, but reality is low paying jobs will not hardly put food on the table now much less any gas in the car to get there !! You can thank China, ourselves, or government for this.. then top that with a recession.

 

[L_Sludger]

Times are just viciously bad. In CA I don't even have a dream of getting something in my field for a good while, so I'm moonlighting doing technical stuff on a temporary basis.

 

[daves87rs]

Originally Posted By: doitmyself
Things are so bad in Michigan......."How bad is it?".......We can't even enjoy making fun of California.

I assume he knows about all the Michigan Works programs (no worker left behind)? My son in law lost his auto mfg. job and is now employed after getting retrained.

Ya, it's a pain in the behind program because it is state run, but it helps some people.

http://michiganworks.org/

Best wishes for your friend. It's going to get worse, unfortunately. The school system is a shambles.





Sad, but so true. I'm not even sure I am going to have a job at the end of the summer. He's actually looking into that program as hwe speak...

 

[The_Jeff]

Watch for the gotchas... like if you take a job but only work it a short time when you get laid off again you get shorter unemployment than if you just stay with it all along. Part of it's based on how long you worked and taking a new position resets that clock.

He should hang in there, I know a couple guys real close who were out of work 9 months to a year and finally found tolerable work.

 

[dwendt44]

And remember that Unemployment checks are TAXABLE income.

 

[bradepb]

benefits are only taxable now after the first I think $2400.00 check your 1040 its on there, your friend should go to a service center and get it straightened out, there are still a few centers open that you can talk to a human being and find out what is going on wirth his checks.

 

[Popinski]

Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah
The best thing is to get ANY job. Even if its so far out of what you normally do.

The old saying "it's easier to get a job when you have a job" is so true.

Waiting on the state or anyone else is not going to get things done. He needs to look in the mirror and that is the person who NEEDS to get it done.

Good luck for him!

Bill


I know a single mother of three and she was was laid off a couple weeks ago. She's struggling and her ex-husband is having trouble paying her child support. She got 2 minimum wage jobs instead of going to unemployment.

I agree with Bill... get ANY job for now.

 

[Scienceman]

+1

 

[Gary Allan]

I don't know how Michigan runs their UC, but getting a job may be a good idea. Getting a FULL TIME job might be a big mistake.

Here you can earn up to 40% of your UC without loss of benefits. After that amount it deducts $1:$1 off of your weekly/bi-weekly benefit.

Now here's the important part. While it reduces the amount you receive on a bi-weekly basis, working DOES NOT reduce your total benefit. It just elongates the distribution. So, it's like money in the bank.

The catch 22 is that if you take ANY full time employment ..even at 1/1000000000000000000 of your former compensation level, you're off benefits and, in the event of a new layoff, are now making a new claim under the new employment (which was much reduced from the original).


The way it worked here is that took your highest quarter (it may have been last) and THAT amount was then distributed over 6months ..at least up to the maximum amount of benefit.


Here you can manage to be a consultant on UC and make a million bucks an hour and still file a claim in two weeks, but if you take a minimum wage job, you're off of UC.

Get to a temp agency. There you can work a 40 hour week and lose no benefits. You're a temp. You have no right to unemployment compensation when working for them.

YMMV due to your state's way of handling this.

 

[Schmoe]

Going through that with my wife as we speak. Here in OK, you have to apply for at least three jobs per week, send them proof you applied and they will deposit your money. Also, the money you get is based on the quarters you put in and it's only a percentage of that. I know, but something is better than nothing. Not only the uncertainity, but the emotional toll is very heavy as well. I've seen my wife literally become depressed over this when she got laid off back in 8/08. She decided to go back to school to pursue another career, nursing, but even that is not a guarantee anymore. Then, she got stricken with breast cancer. It's rough, plain and simple and I don't care how you coat it.

 

[andrewg]

Got a friend who was laid-off from Boeing after 18 years. He has a family to support. He tried in vain to get employed for over a year. Several interviews....but no job. Finally the company that laid him off decided to hire him back....but only if he was willing to relocate form Seattle to Washington, D.C. He had no choice as his benefits were about to cease. His wife just lost her job as he accepted this one....but he's going it alone in D.C. until he sorts out his living conditions. His wife and kids are staying on the west coast for now. He is feeling fortunate he has a job but at the same time he HATES D.C. and finds the area to be a horrible mess. He's got no money yet....is sleeping in his car until he can find an apartment to share.
It's worse out there than what we seem to hear on the news. I think it will be at least two to three years until things improve enough to truly call it a recovery.

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: Popinski
Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah
The best thing is to get ANY job. Even if its so far out of what you normally do.

The old saying "it's easier to get a job when you have a job" is so true.

Waiting on the state or anyone else is not going to get things done. He needs to look in the mirror and that is the person who NEEDS to get it done.

Good luck for him!

Bill


I know a single mother of three and she was was laid off a couple weeks ago. She's struggling and her ex-husband is having trouble paying her child support. She got 2 minimum wage jobs instead of going to unemployment.

I agree with Bill... get ANY job for now.

I hope she did the math, and she must have free child care? IMHO if someone has paid into unemployment benefits for years there is no shame in reclaiming some of them to cover the bills while they look for comparable work. Especially with 3 kids, getting stuck working 2 minimum wage jobs while not being able to look for one good job would be a mistake. If the benefits are running out soon then its time to take anything.

 

[bradepb]

In michigan the max benefit is $382.00 per week depending on your previous income, that is almost equal to a $10 an hour job, of course not even close to a previuos $20.00 an hour job but a lot more than minimum wage.
So if you lost a decent job you are better off collecting as long as you can unless you can get another good wage job, However I dont know what the rules are about jobs you have to accept.
Dont want to go political but unfortunately here in the u.s. you also lose health benefits with your job so a double wammy unless you have one heck of a lot of cash to continue benefits

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: daves87rs
It's pretty sad when my local Taco Bell gets 100+ apps foe a simple part time position...



I guess the job situation is soooo GREAT in some, select few areas of this nation (those with foreign 'transplants' ONLY??) that those people just cannot comprehend in their wildest imaginations how HORRID, and hopeless it actually IS in most other locales.

When I hear some of the "well-to-do"ers (and their respective, fave pols) speak of 'principles' in times like these, when there are those out there with starving families I just shake my head and

.

Especially when those said 'principles' are what caused the starvation/problems to begin with.

 

[CivicFan]

Things are pretty bleak in Central Indiana, too. Pretty scary.