At a panel hosted by Half in Ten and the National Unemployment Law Project, Paula Stein provided an unemployed worker’s perspective on the current unemployment crisis.

After sharing her story, Paula noted the need for Congress to take action to help workers like her, saying ” Losing your job is devastating enough, especially when unprepared; but having the newspaper, television, radio and everyone you talk to tell you how much the economy is in trouble is very depressing and overwhelming. I know for myself, I am trying to do the very best I can with the little I have. Something has to give somewhere or there will be far more foreclosures, more lay-offs, more crime, more illness, more deaths and less faith, less compassion, less quality of life. Our economy doesn’t just affect people’s pocketbooks; it affects their very essence of being an independent whole person. It affects health, heart, head and hand.”
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A new report by Maurice Emsellem and Andrew Stettner of the National Employment Law Project, Lisa Donner of Half in Ten, and Alexandra Cawthorne of the Center for American Progress Action Fund provides insight into the current unemployment crisis and explains the necessity of immediate action.
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Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wa) will host a briefing on Friday, November 14 at 12:30 pm for other members of Congress and their staffs. This briefing will highlight two proposals that offer the greatest hope for simultaneously boosting the economy, assisting state governments, and helping many of the more than 10 million unemployed workers in our labor market today.
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On November 14 from 10:00-11:30 am, Half in Ten, ACORN, the Center for American Progress Action Fund, the Coalition on Human Needs, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, and the National Employment Law Project will co-host a special event on the unemployment crisis.

Unemployment Insurance is a cornerstone of economic security and the first line of defense when jobs disappear, preventing families from falling into poverty, and infusing spending into the local economies hardest hit by unemployment. This safety net has never been more important than right now as Congress debates new measures to stimulate the economy: we have lost more than a million jobs since January, and the unemployment rate is likely heading to levels not seen since the serious recession of the early 1980s. Read more »

Christine Owens, Executive Director of the National Employment Law Project, testified on October 29 before the House Committee on Ways and Means on the need for economic recovery. Owens emphasized the worsening unemployment crisis, and urged the President and Congress to act quickly to extend unemployment benefits and modernize the unemployment insurance system.

Read the full testimony.

Read more on unemployment from the National Employment Law Project.

Read the press release from the National Employment Law Project, the Center for American Progress Action Fund, and Half in Ten on the September unemployment figures.

On October 24, the House Committee on Education and Labor held a hearing on the unemployment crisis and strategies to encourage job growth. Dana Stevens, an unemployed woman from New Jersey, gave the following testimony at the hearing:
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The economy has taken a serious turn for the worse for workers and their families. There has been a significant surge in unemployment, and Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Nevada, and Ohio are some of many states that have been hit particularly hard.

The nation’s unemployment rate reached a five-year high of 6.1 percent in September. Nearly 10 million Americans were officially unemployed last month and still actively looking for work. Unemployment claims are now at a seven-year high, with nearly 500,000 workers applying for benefits every week.
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From the Coalition on Human Needs

On October 3, its final day in session, Congress passed and the President signed into law a major improvement in the Child Tax Credit that will help 13 million low-income children. The provision makes families with earnings of $8,500 or more eligible for a partial Child Tax Credit although they don’t earn enough to owe federal income taxes (called a “refundable” credit). Approximately 2.9 million children will become newly eligible for the credit and 10.1 million will receive a larger credit. Without the improvement families would have had to earn at least $12,050 in 2008 to be eligible for the partial credit. The reduced earnings requirement was enacted for one year; although advocates have hopes it will not be too difficult to persuade Congress to extend it.
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By the Center for American Progress’ Joy Moses

Attached to Congress’ approval of the bailout package is a brief two sentence provision that will bring welcome relief to the families of over 13 million low-income children. The provision expands the reach of the Child Tax Credit, which will help families cope with the growing financial challenges associated with the current economy.
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In light of the substantial (and rising) costs of child care in the United States, the National Women’s Law Center released an analysis of the child care policies enacted by various states. While some advances have been made in the last year or so, NWLC found that over the last decade, most states made no progress, and in many cases, have actually moved backward in dealing with this problem.
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