The real problem is that unemployment laws - at least in NYC - have not been modified to accommodate modern working life.

I’ve been on unemployment. And it’s a bitch to get off of, partly due to the unemployment system itself.

If you receive full unemployment in NYC - which comes out to something like $360 after taxes (a total joke) - you cannot work a part time job, temp job, or freelance job and still receive benefits.

So, if you have a strong work ethic but simply cannot find full time employment, you’re in a bind. You may get some sort of two day a week temporary position, but the system will cut off your benefits totally and it will take weeks to get them turned back on. And that two day position will pay less than the 360 you are eligible for on unemployment. Sure, the law claims you may a few days or something, but you are not allowed to earn over the maximum 360 or whatever dollars, and once they turn you off off it really is a nightmare to get them turned back on. Even if the job was just for a week.

So, you are being penalized for working at something that is not a full time job. With this system, you’re better off staying home waiting it out, especially in an economy such as this, where full time jobs are really hard to come by.

Another thing is that the unemployment office is terrible and their “job assistance” is a joke. They simply post job listings you can find anywhere else. They don’t have competent social workers or anyone else on staff to really assist with the emotional factors and every day grind that come with finding work. They don’t provide innovative job search support.

Delay is a jerk, but really, all the politicians are to blame for this. When was the last time you heard any of them push for modifying unemployment laws? For better job search assistance?

I vaguely remember Hillary trying when she was a senator, but congress shot her down.