Beginning in April, tens of thousands of unemployed New Jerseyans will lose their extended unemployment benefits due to the state’s unemployment rate dropping below 6.5%.
When unemployment in New Jersey is above 6.5%, the state’s Extended Benefits program automatically kicks in, providing unemployed workers with 13 additional weeks of benefits. However, with New Jersey’s unemployment rate now at 4.6%, that program is being canceled.
It is estimated that the program’s cancellation will affect some 20,000 unemployed people in the state. Even if you qualified for extended benefits and have a balance remaining, you will not get it come April.
New Jersey’s labor department says the Garden State has recovered around 90% of the jobs it lost in the Covid-19 pandemic, during which time the extended benefits program doled out around $1.3 billion in additional benefits.
Did the unemployment rate drop because many residents ran out of money in their claim or did those 1.9% really get employment? It’s unrealistic that those 4.6% who have been trying to obtain employment and run out of regular benefits have to suffer the hardship of being unemployed and now without any means of support. Sure, you could say that by ending the extended unemployment benefits it will force these 4.6% to get jobs. But in reality, there aren’t enough jobs in this state for all those qualified to obtain proper employment. Just think instead of giving the 4.6% extended benefits those people now have to apply for other financial support through the state for housing, food, childcare, medical insurance…., wouldn’t it be less expensive in the long run to just help these people for another 13 weeks than provide them with financial support for 60 months through “Work First New Jersey Benefits”.
I’ve checked into these so called “WFNJ” benefits and it turns out in order to apply and obtain this support you have to provide all kinds of personal information including but not limited to bank accounts, pension funds, life insurance information, utility bills…and the outcome will be that the program will give me $185 monthly!!! The bottom line is also that these benefits have to be repaid by either you or your beneficiaries if you die. Can someone please tell me how any person can survive with that amount monthly.
I worked all through the pandemic and six months ago my company decided to move out of state. After twenty plus years with the same company I didn’t receive any kind of package or the opportunity to move out of state with them. I apply daily through sites like Indeed. I’ve had many interviews but no offer for employment, and sites like Indeed show you how many applicants have applied for each position posted. In most cases the number varies from 150 to over 500 depending on the company offering the position.
Can someone please tell me how a person is supposed to survive until employment is obtained.