News - National
Extension of jobless benefits expected to clear the House
Posted: Sep 22, 2009 6:28 AM by Associated Press
The House is set to consider an extension of jobless benefits. With the jobless rate at 9.7 percent and economists acknowledging jobs will be tough to come by even as the economy recovers, the House could make things a little easier for the unemployed.
It's expected to easily approve a 13-week extension of benefits. It would apply to jobless who live in states where the
unemployment rate is at least 8.5 percent and whose benefits run out at the end of the month.
The bill's sponsor says three-quarters of the 400,000 workers who are projected to exhaust their benefits this month live in high-unemployment states. Critics argue that extending the benefits could prompt the jobless to not look for work.
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