Posted on 02/22/2014 11:18:24 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
(VIDEO-AT-LINK)
On Dec. 28, 1.3 million Americans lost their unemployment insurance when an emergency federal unemployment insurance program expired. Critics of extended unemployment benefits say the benefits raise jobless numbers by allowing people to stay unemployed longer instead of taking an available job. But people like Trista Selmar-Steed, a 38-year-old former medical biller who lost her job in 2012, say the benefits have kept her family above water while she looks for work. Special correspondent John Carlos Frey reports from Georgia.
TRANSCRIPT
TRISTA SELMAR-STEED: I open it up and just rip it down the middle. Separate it.
JOHN CARLOS FREY: Trista Selmar-Steed cuts a lot of coupons these days… In fact she’s becomes a bit of a fanatic about it.
TRISTA SELMAR-STEED: This is my coupon box, container, I carry it with me to the grocery store. Coffee, cake, butter, milk, pasta, sugar — this one here is for household goods and personal items.
TRISTA SELMAR-STEED: You never know that coupons will save you as much money as you– it actually has.
JOHN CARLOS FREY: The 38-year-old who lives in a suburb just outside of Atlanta, Georgia, has been saving all these coupons because as of December 28th, she has no income. She was one of 1.3 million Americans who lost their unemployment insurance when an emergency federal unemployment insurance program expired.
TRISTA SELMAR-STEED: That same week that I expected to get that next check was the same week that I had a bill that was due — but I wasn’t able to pay it. I had to ask my husband to start paying my part of the bills and that’s the sad part, not being able to help my husband pay– pay the bills.
JOHN CARLOS FREY: Trista, who used to make $30,000 a year working for a medical billing service, was laid off from her job in November of 2012, and hasn’t been able to find a job since.
JOHN CARLOS FREY: I sensed a year out there in this job market has kind of beat you up a little bit, yeah?
TRISTA SELMAR-STEED: It’s very sad that– to have the qualifications and not be able to actually work, you know, get a job in your field. And I’ve been doing this 2007.
JOHN CARLOS FREY: Why do you think it’s so hard for you to get a job?
TRISTA SELMAR-STEED: I’m not sure. A lot of companies are still laying off.
JOHN CARLOS FREY: Trista has now been without her benefits for 8 weeks. To make matters worse, her husband who is a truck driver was hurt on the job and is now on what’s known as light duty, working fewer hours and only taking home about 60% of what he used to which now equals about $2000 a month.
TRISTA SELMAR-STEED: So that’s another whammy, you know, something else that started– started the down spiral, excuse me.
JOHN CARLOS FREY: They say they now have to dip into their savings just too pay their bills. She says things have gotten so bad, that when she’s not at her computer for several hours each day looking for work, she’s and her husband spend their free time watching TV just to lift their spirits.
TRISTA SELMAR-STEED: Cartoons and comedy, it have us laughing. It takes your mind off of the things that you might be going through.
JOHN CARLOS FREY: There’s some people who would say that people who are on unemployment don’t want to look for a job. They just want to live off the unemployment. It’s– it’s a free easy paycheck.
TRISTA SELMAR-STEED: It’s not a free easy paycheck. That’s what– for me, it’s not. I know what I like in life. I know what I strive to have in the future. And I can say some people might try to use that, but me personally, I– that’s not me.
JOHN CARLOS FREY: While Trista believes that extending her benefits would give her the cushion she needs to get another job, Economics Professor Jeff Dorfman, who teaches at the University of Georgia, says that the extended unemployment benefits ARE the problem.
JEFF DORFMAN: The studies show it raises unemployment more by allowing people to stay unemployed longer, still searching for a really great job instead of taking a job that’s available.
Dorfman points to North Carolina. Last July the state legislature cut unemployment benefits from 73 weeks to 19 weeks. In the months since the state unemployment rate dropped from 8.9 percent to 6.9 percent.
JOHN CARLOS FREY: And you attribute that to cutting 50 weeks of unemployment insurance.
JEFF DORFMAN: When you suddenly get cut off, you realize, “You know, I need to take a job.” And people in North Carolina apparently found jobs.
JOHN CARLOS FREY: Others attribute the decline in unemployment there to unemployed workers giving up their search for work. And they note the drop in unemployment has been coupled with a big increase in the number of people there on food stamps.
JOHN CARLOS FREY: As for Trista, she says she’d be happy to take a job outside her medical billing field. She says she’s applied for all kinds of jobs during the past year, everything from driving a school bus or a truck to clerical jobs at CVS and Wal-Mart. Even as a flight attendant with Delta. All of them met with rejection.
TRISTA SELMAR-STEED: We regret to inform you that you have not been selected for this position at this time. Thank you for applying and best wishes for success in your future endeavors. Delta talent acquisition team. And I’ve gotten that three times from Delta, so…
TRACY MOSLEY: You hear the– the theory that some people are just a couple paychecks away from homelessness. Well, we actually see that.
JOHN CARLOS FREY: Tracy Mosley is the Transition Program Coordinator for the Urban League of Greater Atlanta, an organization that helps African Americans find and train for jobs. He warns of dire consequences unless unemployment benefits are extended.
TRACY MOSLEY: We actually see people that– had a sustainable income, that had a good job, good employment. But all of a sudden they find themself homeless.
JOHN CARLOS FREY: The problem is particularly acute in the African American community where the unemployment rate is nearly double the national average. Mosley says the interview and job prep classes his organization offers have been filled to capacity with people like Trista Selmar-Steed, who he says are desperate for work. She recently met with a job counselor here.
COUNSELOR: so you are being recommended for a position with MARTA, which is the transit authority for Atlanta, that our bus railway system that we use here. That’s one of the opportunities you’ll be considered for. So I wanna make sure that you are going to be available on March the 3rd so I can have you lined up for an interview.
TRISTA SELMAR-STEED: Ok, well thank you so much, I really appreciate this, this is a big help.
JOHN CARLOS FREY: Trista is crossing her fingers that this lead might just pan out… but for the time being just getting to the Urban League’s office in Atlanta, a 45 minute drive from her home in the suburbs is a financial burden now that she doesn’t have an unemployment check every week.
TRACY MOSLEY: And so if their source of income, of temporary income, is cut off — A lot of them cannot even afford to come down here for their training.
JOHN CARLOS FREY: But Professor Jeff Dorfman says that government benefits can’t go on forever.
JEFF DORFMAN: Our compassion has never been unlimited in this sense. We always eventually cut people off. We already had some mechanism for deciding at some point we’ve gotta stop paying for you.
JOHN CARLOS FREY: And some would argue that we’re not there yet. We’re not at that point in the recovery where we should start cutting back. We still need to fund for an extended period of time.
JEFF DORFMAN: The longest we’ve ever kept benefits before is 35 months after the end of a recession. And we’re at 55 months now. So we’re 20 months, that’s over a year and a half longer than we’ve ever provided these extended benefits for.
JOHN CARLOS FREY: Dorfman believes that if the government is going to intervene, that money could be better used retraining the unemployed for new jobs. For now, with Congress at an impasse, it looks like Trista, and nearly two million others, will have to survive without the federal life line they’ve come to count on in these hard times..
TRISTA SELMAR-STEED: I mean, it dampens your spirit a little bit, but the only way you can prosper, I’ve learned, is to keep a high spirit // And so I just look at it as where one door closes, someone will eventually hire me.
JOHN CARLOS FREY: After a year, you still feel that way?
TRISTA SELMAR-STEED: I still feel that way. Yes.
The first question to anyone unemployed is...will you move to take an opportunity? There are jobs in ND, TX, UT and so forth. The next question is a two-parter: Did you vote LIB/DIM & will you do so ever again?
“but the job market is brutal.”
And why is that ?
It is because of Obamacare, govt. regulations, EPA,
and also to increased self service and mechanization of the economy.
Check with your main DMV head office....or go to the local DMV and ask for the phone number to get in touch with the office that can expunge a non injury non DUI record.
I had two old incidents on my driving license...a rear end, and I got stuck in a ditch and broke a fence.
Anyway with a clean DMV license I got my CDL 2 years ago (at age 70), delivered motor coaches around the country for a year and now drive gas tankers.
When way past shelf life its tough to get a job....I look at it as free exercise...what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
There is a chronic shortage of nurses.
If you want a job serving sick people and probably being underpaid but having certainty of unemployment, get a nursing degree.
Should try to get a job as a navigator for Obamacare.....lot of Holders people are now gainfully employed.
“The long-term unemployed send a silent message that they aren’t really willing to work or are a problem that nobody wants (drugs/alcohol/lazy/abusive...). It may not be true but how is the prospective employer going to know that? “
I say that it is true for most of them. Take 100 people who have been unemployed for 1 month vs. a group of 100 people who have been unemployed for 10 months and I’ll bet 90 out of 100 in the 1 month group will be better employees than all 100 in the 10 month group.
“Those of you in hard-core unemployment areas may also consider relocation with your meager funds.”
They are screaming for all kinds of workers in North Dakota and Alaska. The main reason is there is oil money but the environment is isolated and harsh climate wise.
Not true....
....there are walk in jobs in the oilfields....if you are fit and have some mechanical knowledge start as a Rouseabout and transition to Roughneck after 6 months. ....good pay here
Another is WELDERS ASSISTANT...in TX the companies have programs to upgrade welders assistants to full time welders...good pay here also.
If you have computer skills try for Wireline Trainee...Wireline Operator is one of the top paying oilfield jobs (6 figures),,,,here are the requirements:
Multiple Jobs here as an example: http://gyrodata.iapplicants.com/searchjobs.php
Wireline Trainee - Bridgeville Full Time Operations Bridgeville, PA
Wireline Trainee - Casper Full Time Operations Casper, WY
Wireline Trainee - Midland Full Time Operations Midland, TX
Qualifications: Education / Requirements:
•Standard active driver's license
• Valid CDL (Highly preferred)
•Ability to acquire CDL within three to six months of being hired (Required)
•Some Microsoft Windows experience (general computer awareness/experience)
•Basic hand tool use and knowledge
•Ability to communicate effectively in English
Physical Requirements
•Ability to lift 50 pounds
•Ability to stand for 16 hours
•Ability to sit for 16 hours
•Traversing a staircase multiple times for up to 16 hours
•Grasp and hold hand tools and other types of equipment
•Be able to function mentally and physically with lack of sleep
At age 72 I can do all the above without breaking a sweat.
I’m analyzing the situation and suggesting a hard balance the budget now approach in the end. The entitlements need to be reformed big time from unemploymenent to Social Security to Medicare, Medicaid and pensions. Departments like OSHA, EPA, Education and Energy need to be 100 percent shut down. There is no more money to spend. Let the states handle those issues and they all have enviro and work safety departments already.
What fascinates me is that the Left is seeing their hero president cut extended unemployment and food stamps in all these Uniparty deals.
Shouldn’t they be upset about that???? Why aren’t they upset????? The media isn’t telling them.
Barry’s cutting unemployment and food stamps?
I guess I missed that!
Did you find a job there?
If you are applying for a job that requires no brains, don't put stuff in your resume that gives the impression that you do have brains. Tailor your resume and the job application to the job you are seeking.
A "one size fits all" resume is worthless.
If he thinks he is being rejected for a job for which he is over qualified, then omit some stuff from the resume.
If you are applying for a job working a jackhammer, you don't try to convince your potential employer that you know how to design a better one. The employer is looking for a jackhammer operator, not a jackhammer designer.
BTW, if he has several degrees, does he have any job experience? A lot of kids these days have made it all the way through college without ever flipping a burger or washing dishes or waiting on tables or stocking a shelf or working as a landscaper. I did all those things while I was in school.
Those attitudes were formed before and during the Reagan Administration, and aimed at the 60's-70's loser class that sucked down so many government benefits back then.
Those attitudes are not to be expressed toward white middle class unemployed Americans who are today under deliberate, violent attack from the 60's radicals who have taken over large parts of government - an attack driven by rage over those very Reagan Administration attitudes that deprived said radicals of the free ride they think they deserved over the last 30 years.
There is a lot of confusion about who is on whose side - hopefully, the critics will straighten out their thinking and stop attacking the wrong people before Civil War II begins.
Forget being condescending toward your unemployed allies who aren't willing to spend what little money they have left moving to North Dakota to become oil truck drivers. Save that condescension for Obama, Holder, and Jarrett.
I just joined the ranks this month.
Turn 55 in 2 weeks.
I am not a happy camper.
No one accepts application in person anymore.
All Applications are done online.
It is frustrating as hell.
She needs to walk up to every small business in her area and apply directly. She should walk the strip centers and businesses along the thoroughfare, applying every place with a “help wanted” sign.
Most of the job postings online are duplicates or just placeholders for companies that have to post a position publicly before hiring the person they want. I’ve applied to several positions only to find out they were all the same one with the same firm.
Thank you.
Very few businesses will accept in person application for jobs, many that were have stopped because of the number of applicants they get for each opening. Nearly all jobs now are listed online and require initial application to be done online. There are many online job search sites, and lower paying jobs are often listed on Craig’s list and similar sites.
One of my daughters is an office manager and she said they simply cannot deal with the numbers of people that show up to ask for work- so they don’t. If they need someone they put an ad online and screen applicants by reading their application- do follow up with people by phone to narrow down to those few that will even get an interview.
These job aggregate web sites are SO FRUSTRATING.
Who knows what algorithms they are using to match you to a job?
I had one field engineer job app rejected because I had no experience in retail sales or music.
WTF does any of that have to do with fixing electronic systems in the field?
Applications that are done online take up less room than paper applications. All they have to do is hit "delete". No need to send it to the shredder.
I don't think I ever got a job by filling out an application.
If you want to work somewhere, go there. If they need someone, they will tell you to fill out an application. But make sure the person who tells you to fill out the application is the same person who is going to make the decision on whether or not you get hired or not. And don't tell them "I really need a job". Make sure you say something like "I really like this place and I have always thought of how rewarding it would be to do what you do here." Something like that.
Don't EVER tell a prospective employer that you "NEED A JOB". They don't want people who "NEED" jobs. They want people who WANT TO WORK... THERE.
Use your social connections. 99% of jobs are given to someone who knows someone who works where you get hired.
People leave jobs every day and the positions are mainly filled by referrals from other employees. If you know a place where you want to work and you know someone who works there, then make sure they know you want to work there and you won't embarrass them if you are hired. Most companies actually pay their employees to find people for open positions. Most companies never bother to even look at job applications. They want referrals from people they know.
Most companies think of their employees as family and they are hesitant to let strangers into their home.
There are exceptions. You can get a job as a roughneck just by showing up on a day when someone else doesn't. If you include in your resume that you spent three years in prison for car theft and assaulting a police officer, it will increase your chances for being hired.
Tailor your resume for the job you are applying. But if you really want to get hired someplace, it really helps to know someone who works there.
The key to getting a job is knowing someone who has one.
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