Results tagged “unemployment insurance” from EdLabor Journal

Mike Barnicle: What about the fact that unemployment benefits pumped into the economy are an immediate benefit to the economy. Immediate. 

John Shadegg: No, they're not.

…

Mike Barnicle: Let's go back to what you said about unemployment checks. Unemployment checks, people don't spend that money?

John Shadegg: No. they will spend as little as they can because they'll hold on to it as long as they can. In reality, they don't create jobs.

 

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Update: The American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act was passed by the House of Representatives on May 28, 2010.

The House of Representatives is expected to vote this week on the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act (H.R. 4213), a measure that would help the nation continue along the path of economic recovery and job growth.

A year and a half ago, this country was suffering from a recession created by years of extreme economic and fiscal policies under the previous administration.  Nearly 800,000 jobs a month were being lost when President Obama was sworn into office. 

Thanks to the Recovery Act, we are now seeing positive job gains.  Job losses have turned to jobs gains of 290,000 in April 2010—the largest gain in four years and a 1 million job swing from the end of the Bush administration. This marks the fourth month of job growth with 573,000 American jobs added since December—84% in private sector.

We are finally headed in the right direction, but still have more work to do.  This legislation builds on this positive growth by continuing crucial help for families still dealing with the aftermath of the recession and financial scandals.

Among other things, the bill: assists unemployed workers, funds summer jobs, provides pension relief, and gives the more than 50 million workers who depend on 401(k) type plans clear and complete information on the fees they pay. 

Last night the House passed the Jobs for Main Street Act. It makes a a $23 billion investment in a State Education Jobs fund that will be distributed by formula to states. This sort of backstop is vital because of stories like that faced by Prince George's County schools in Maryland.

According to the Washington Post:

Hundreds of jobs would be eliminated, furloughs would be imposed and student-teacher ratios would increase in many grades under a $1.67 billion budget for 2010-11 proposed by the Prince George's County superintendent Wednesday night.

...

The budget calls for $42.5 million less in spending than this year's plan. Although spending would increase for some purposes -- such as the addition of 75 positions to staff four new schools -- the budget contains about $110 million in cuts, including the elimination of 490 positions.

The Jobs for Main Street Act would provide money for teachers and programs within early education, K-12, and higher education. Some money could go toward school facilities. Districts are required to use the funds for compensation and benefits and services related to school modernization, renovation, and repair.

As Alyson Klein at Education Week's blog, Politics K-12, says:

-States can't use education jobs money to replenish their rainy day and reserve funds, directly or indirectly, according to the bill. So no supplanting!

-States can't use any more than 5 percent of the money for administrative purposes, including to retain or create jobs at the state higher education agency.

-There's no governor's fund that can be used for education, but also for public safety and other purposes. It's all education, all the time.

The measure also includes an additional $4.1 billion for school construction bonds. The stimulus had over $20 billion for the bonds, and so far, they have proved very popular.

Learn more about the Jobs for Main Street Act or watch Chairman Miller's Floor Statement in Support of the Jobs for Main Street Act.

Rep. George Miller, chair of the House Education and Labor Committee, speaks passionately about the need to pass the Jobs for Main Street Act on the House floor on December 16, 2009.


Learn more about the Jobs for Main Street Act and how it will create additional jobs for construction workers, teachers, police officers, firefighters and others, and extend critical assistance for the unemployed and people who have lost health insurance.

Chairman Miller: It yields to the concerns that we have echoed in our Caucus every week as Members come back from their local communities.  Yes, we have a few positive indicators — hopefully they will continue — on unemployment, but we hear in the private analyst community and among many people concerned about unemployment in this country — economists and others — that that could be overwhelmed if we do not do something to support local government.  That we could have a wave of unemployment created by the cuts that they may face because of the fact that they are close to $300 billion underwater in their budgets.  

And this bill makes an effort — I think a good effort — in making sure that we can assure the health and safety of our communities and the education of our children.  We’re watching as every year now as we get the reports from across the country — from thousands and thousands of schools districts and hundreds of thousands of schools — the gains that young people in America are making in terms of the proficiency in reading and mathematics and elsewhere.  We cannot afford to lose that because of unemployment in the school districts.  We cannot afford to lose that because of the downturn in the economy.  Most business leaders will tell you that it’s in this kind of atmosphere where you want to make your investment for the future. We need to continue the investments that we have been making in the education of America’s young children by making sure that we do not lose hundreds of thousands of teachers across the American landscape and then children are put in an environment where they cannot continue to make those kinds of gains.

So this legislation on public service jobs addresses the need — as you heard from our leaders — of the health and safety of our community, the education of young people, and also to provide opportunities in this coming summer for young people who have graduated in many cases from school, are looking for jobs and haven’t been able to find them, but to give them that opportunity to receive training and job opportunities.  I think the mix of this legislation, with the emphasis on infrastructure, jobs, and public service jobs is what we need in our states, in our localities, in our economy, at this time.  And looking forward to a good vote in our Caucus on behalf of Jobs for Main Street bill.