Urge Congress to Continue Unemployment Benefits
With the demise of the Super Committee - and hopes for a long-term compromise - Congress' attention is returning to the soon-to-expire unemployment insurance. The time to urge members of Congress to protect jobless benefits is now. Cutting off unemployment insurance hurts our economic recovery and can have dire effects on families.
Jobless workers across the country are doing all they can to keep their families afloat. In 2010 alone, the unemployment benefits these struggling families receive kept 3.2 million Americans from falling into poverty. Unemployment insurance not only assists jobless workers and their families, but also boosts demand in the economy and creates jobs, aiding economic recovery.
Despite these benefits, federal unemployment insurance is set to expire at the end of this year, putting millions of vulnerable workers and families at risk. If Congress does not act to continue these benefits, nearly a million U.S. workers could lose their jobs, and the economy could lose $70 billion to $80 billion in 2012.
With 46.2 million Americans living in poverty, and 9 percent unemployment, benefits like emergency assistance to the unemployed are critically important.
As we approach the holiday season, take a moment to write your members of Congress and ask them to continue unemployment insurance for another year. Millions of jobless workers and our nation’s economic well-being are counting on it.
