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All but 6 Republican Senators voted against the Unemployment Benefits Extension Bill Wednesday -- 16 of them from states with double digit unemployment. The National Unemployment rate^U3 is 9.7%.

Here are the 16 Republican Senators who voted against your safety-net:

Senators Kit Bond (R-MO), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), George Voinivich (R-OH) and David Vitter (R-LA) joined all of the Democrats except Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) in voting for the measure.

UPDATED March 11, 2010

The number of new applications for Unemployment Insurance dropped to 462,000 by 6,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 468,000, in the week ending 6 March 2010, the US Department of Labor reported today.

The 4-week moving average was 475,500, an increase of 5,000 from the previous week's revised average of 470,500.

Insured unemployment ending the week February 27 increased from the adjusted preceding week of  4,521,000 by 37,000 to 4,558,000. The 4 week moving steadied at 4,581,000, no change from the preceding week's revised average of 4,581,000.

States reported 5,527,925 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending February 20, an decrease of 159,649 from the prior week.

Click here for a larger graph of unemployment claims.

WASHINGTON March 10, 2010 – UPDATE 

The Senate voted Wednesday to extend key pieces of last year's economic stimulus measure, including help for the jobless and money to help financially strapped states pay for health care for the poor.

The bill was passed 63-36 with Six Republicans joining all but one Democrat, Ben Nelson of Nebraska, in voting for the bill.

EARLIER STORY:

Legislation extending unemployment insurance for the long-term jobless faces a key test vote in the Senate today, its momentum helped by about 60 popular tax breaks for individuals and businesses that expired at the end of last year.

The Senate is considering S.Amdt.3336 an amendment to H.R.4213 - Tax Extenders Act of 2009 -  that will extend unemployment and COBRA benefits to the end of 2010. 

The measure also prevents doctors from absorbing a crippling cut in Medicare payments, extends health insurance subsidies for the unemployed and gives cash-starved states help with Medicaid, the federal-state program providing health care to the poor and disabled.

Nine Jobseekers For Every Job

WASHNGTON 9 March, 2010 There were 2.7 million job openings on the last business day of January 2010, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Last Friday's jobs report showed 14.7 million out of work. Thats 5.4 unemployed people for each job. There are another 8.7 million with part time jobs that want fulltime work. Thats nearly 8.7 unemployed people for every open job.

As usual the dry and beaurocratese of the BLS report belies the the real pain and suffering resulting from the worst recession since the great depression of the 30's and totally ignored by the likes of Kyl, Bunning and Delay. 

There were 2.7 million job openings on the last business day of January 2010, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported ... The job openings rate rose over the month to 2.1 percent, the highest therate has been since February 2009. The hires rate (3.1 percent) and the separations rate (3.2 percent) were unchanged in January. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm sector by industry andgeographic region. This release also includes annual estimates forhires and separations.  The annual totals for hires and quits decreased in 2009 while the annual total for layoffs and discharges increased.

UPDATED February 5, 2010 As many as 1.5 million jobless Americans will exhaust their unemployment insurance benefits this coming March, according to projections by the National Employment Law Project, a private research group. By June, this number will swell to nearly 5 million unemployed workers nationally who will be left without any jobless benefits.

"Congress must swiftly act to maintain the lifeline for millions of jobless Americans caught in the undertow of record long-term unemployment in this ongoing downturn," said Christine Owens, Executive Director of the National Employment Law Project. "At the end of last year, Congress wisely agreed that our hardest hit workers and our economy were not yet out of the woods, and reauthorized the jobless benefits and health care subsidies from the ARRA. It is critical for Congress to renew these unemployment provisions through the end of the year before its Presidents Day recess for the millions workers again facing the end of the line— and to avoid missing the boat on this timely and effective economic jolt."

After a two-month reauthorization in December (the house added a ARRA reauthorization amendment to the Defence Appropriations bill), the critical benefits provided to jobless workers by the ARRA are set to expire at the end of February. In December, the House passed a $154 billon jobs bill, including an extension of the ARRA unemployment provisions; the Senate has yet to propose a jobs bill.

NELP's state-by-state analysis demonstrates the pressing need for another extension of the ARRA provisions that would fund additional benefits payments under the EUC.

Click here for the status of state by state eligibility for extended benefits.

HELP NELP by emailing your congressperson. Start here.

What do you think? How are you faring on unemployment benefits?

UPDATED March 11, 2010

The US Department of Labor updated state's eligibility for US unemployment Extended Benefits (EB) and Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC.)

Each State's eligibility for the Federal EB and EUC programs is updated weekly by the US Department of Labor.

EB is the extra $25 you might be receving per week in addition to your weekly benefit. Extended Benefits were available in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin during the week ending Feb. 20.

EUC pays for additional  weeks of benefits beyond the state maximum. President Obama signed into law November 8, 2009, Tiers 3 and 4 of additional weeks, 14 and 6  weeks respectively. All states are eligible for up to 34 weeks of First and Second Tier benefits.

• 50 states are eligible for up to 13 weeks of Third Tier benefits as of February 28, 2010.
• 30 states are eligible for up to 6 weeks of Fourth Tier benefits as of February 28, 2010.

Remember: The First $2400 is Tax Free

An unpleasant surprise awaits for many americans receiving unemployment benefits as they prepare their income tax returns this April. Unemployment benefits, as minuscule as they are, are taxable by the feds and many states.

Unemployment taxes netted $7.2 billion for the federal government in fiscal 2008 and $32.4 billion for state governments, according to the Department of Labor. But tax expert Tom Ochsenschlager said taxing unemployment is "a silly rule" whose impact on the jobless is magnified during a recession.

"Historically maybe (taxation) hasn't been a huge disadvantage for families," said Ochsenschlager, vice president of tax for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Taxing unemployment benefits right now, he said, is "trying to get blood out of a turnip."

The stimulus package included a waiver for the first $2400 in unemployment benefits income and should ease the burden, but most benefits recipients will have to find that extra few hundreds, maybe thousands in taxes this coming April 15.

Read the original article.

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December 20, 2009 One million unemployed people may have one less thing to worry about this holiday season, thanks to the U.S. Senate's passing Saturday of a bill that postpones the deadline for filing for jobless benefits and extends health insurance subsidies. The deadline to request unemployment benefits and healthcare subsidies was going to expire Dec. 31, but was moved to Feb. 28, 2010.

December 17, 2009 The number of new applications for Unemployment Insurance rose to 480,000 by 7,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 473,000 in the week ending 12 December according to the US Department of Labor.

The 4-week moving average was 467,500, a decrease of 5,250 from the previous week's revised average of 472,750.

Insured unemployment ending the week December 5 declined slightly by 5,000⁺ from the adjusted preceding week of 5,181,000 to 5,186,000. The 4 week moving average continued to decline, dropping to 5,318,250, a decrease of 106,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 5,425,000.

However  persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) extended benefits increased by 45,922 during the week ending Nov. 28, from the prior week to 4,266,300 or 82% of all those on UI benefits.

Click here for a larger graph of unemployment claims.

December 10, 2009 The number of new applications for Unemployment Insurance leapt to 474,000 by 17,000 from the previous week's unrevised figure of 457,000 in the week ending 5 December according to the US Department of Labor.

The 4-week moving average was 473,750, a decrease of 7,750 from the previous week's revised average of 481,500.

Insured unemployment ending the week November 28 plummeted by 303,000⁺ from the adjusted preceding week of 5,460,000 to 5,157,000. The 4 week moving average continued to decline, dropping to 5,416,500, a decrease of 123,500 from the preceding week's revised average of 5,540,000.

However  persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) extended benefits increased by 327,729 during the week ending Nov. 21, from the prior week to 4,178,780 or 81% of all those on UI benefits.

Click here for a larger graph of unemployment claims.

November 25, 2009 The number of new applications for Unemployment Insurance tumbled to 466,000, dropping to below half a million for the first time since January according to the US Department of Labor .

The 4-week moving average was 496,500, a decrease of 35,000 from the previous week's revised average of 513,000.

Insured unemployment ending the week November 14 decreased by 190,000⁺ from the adjusted preceding week of 5,613,000 to 5,423,000. The 4 week moving average continued to decline, dropping to 5,613,750, a decrease of 98,500 from the preceding week's revised average of 5,712,250.

November 19, 2009 The US Department of Labor said the number of people filing new applications for unemployment insurance in the week ending 14 November was unchanged from the revised previous week at 505,000. The 4-week moving average was 519,750, a decrease of 4,500 from the previous week's revised average of 524,250.

Insured unemployment ending the week November 7 decreased by 39,000⁺ from the adjusted preceding week of 5,650,000 to 5,611,000. The 4 week moving average continued to decline, dropping to 5,711,500, a decrease of 83,500 from the preceding week's revised average of 5,795,500.

November 12, 2009 The US Department of Labor said new applications for unemployment dropped 12,000 to a seasonally adjusted 502,000 in the week ending November 7, from from the prior week's revised figure of 514,000. The 4-week moving average was 519,750, a decrease of 4,500 from the previous week's revised average of 524,250.

Insured unemployment ending the week October 31 decreased by 139,000⁺ from the adjusted preceding week of 5,770,000 to 5,631,000. The 4 week moving average continued to decline, dropping to 5,790,750, a decrease of 100,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 5,891,500.

November 5, 2009 The US Department of Labor said new applications for unemployment dropped 20,000 to a seasonally adjusted 512,000 in the week ending October 31, from from the prior week's revised figure of 532,000. The 4-week moving average was 523,750, a decrease of 3000 from the previous week's revised average of 526,7250.

Insured unemployment ending the week October 24 decreased by 68,000⁺ from the adjusted preceding week of 5,817,000 to 5,749,000. The 4 week moving average continued to decline, dropping to 5,886,250, a decrease of 79,500 from the preceding week's revised average of 5,965,750.