omg 60%??

I wish I had some answers for you. We have been struggling to keep our heads above water for nearly 3 years now. Hubby landed a part-time job and they eventually offered him full-time work. The problem is that the job pays only minimum wage. It took us a while to adjust to the loss of income. We have to save for things we need that are high prices. When you look at the cost of an item compared to what you make an hour and calculate how many hours it took you to work for that item, you tighten your purse strings even more. Bargain shopping at second-hand stores has gotten us through some very tough times. I wish you all the best. Keep breathing. Our nation survived one economic collapse. We will survive another.

I guess they think he is going to stay at home and not take the car or the bus to work or look for jobs that he can walk to. I do not know what you can do other then pay as much of your debt off as possible and live on baked beans and local produce for a while. That is what is wrong when the economy collapses, those who are trying to make it suffer. I know that some suggest have a garden and grow your own vegetables, but what happens when you live in the city and you only have a little patch? No one can buy anything with just 60 percent of their paycheck. Why at retirement people usually get 80 percent and by then everything has been paid up, but you are far from retirement and you do need the money.

The really bad thing is that if he finds a job making less they still take whatever he makes at that other job and deduct it from his unemployment check, so it's a lose/lose in that respect. 60% is better than nothing, but it's a major problem for most people because, like you, they don't earn enough to pay bills. My aunt and her husband are going thru this now, as well. Her husband lost his job and she has an Ebay store but other than that she didn't work as her back is screwed up. He doesn't make enough to cover even half of their bills but when he takes whatever work he can it ends up doing more harm than good since his unemployment drops. Short of finding something else that pays decent I honestly don't know what to tell you. You might qualify for food stamps and such since your household income in squat, but other than that I don't really have any other advice. :(

I'm so sorry that you guys are going thru this. I know what it is like and I'm afraid we will be joining in soon. Right now we are just making it and I mean just. Hubby and I was talking about how we wont be able to even pay the bills if he gets laid off and it sucks! I don't see how they think anyone can make it with only 60% of your base pay, especially when we barely make it as it is! I wish I could give you some good advice but I really don't have any that will relieve the stress. I don't know if you have anything that you could sell. I hated that option but we have done it to make it at times. Hope things get better

Sorry to hear that. It is a big chunk. My mother and sister live in different states. Both have lost their jobs. And both were told there wasn't any money in their state for them to get unemployment. My sister is appealing and has contacted a lawyer. States face unemployment cash shortage: Five states, including Ohio, are in danger of running out of funds they use to pay unemployment benefits, meaning they may have no choice but to increase taxes. money.cnn.com/2008/12/09/news/economy/state_funding.ap/index.htm

No, I have no short term solutions but I feel your pain. About 4 years ago I was fired from a company I have worked at for 15 years. (I refused to do something I felt was unethical and illegal and got the boot) So I started the process of applying for unemployment. I had heard that while you were on unemployment you had to prove you were looking for jobs. I asked the person at unemployment about that and he said that was only when you were on it for an extended period of time. When we got down toward the end of the application/discussion and I found out how much I would get each week I was absolutely flabbergasted !!! No wonder I wouldn't need to prove I was looking for work! I would be able to make the house payment and have a little left over. Fortunately my husband was working and so we did ok until I got another job a few weeks later at about 75% of what I had been making. I guess if you don't have to pay rent you could make it ok on unemployment but not many people have that luxury. I hope he can find work soon.

I think that many will be at foodbanks and the numbers will increase. I dont think what they do will work in the very near future , no matter what they do. I think people who thought politicians would get it fixed fast were wrong. People should apply for food stamps and go to food banks and do the paperwork now so that everyone will have what they need in time.

I suppose the government has many justifications for doing this. One may be to give people an incentive to get to finding a replacement job. But, in this economy, the state of this country, I see finding a job as a very difficult task. I don't know anyone's fate at the moment. Your husband is definitely not alone. This government makes a lot of token jestures in the way of helping people. But, it is very hard for those who deserve it to get the help that they need, when the need arises.

I live in New Jersey, and am on unemployment. It is killing me, with the 60% of my earnings. I am losing over $800.00 per month from what I was making. One unemployment check does not even cover my rent. It really is a struggle, I hear people say, well it is better than nothing, but if they were in the same situation they would see how hard it is. I appreciate whatever I can get, but it is not enough to live on until you find another job. Let's talk about finding a job, there are none. I check the paper every day, and the only thing there are sales, driving or nursing jobs. My husband took one of those sales jobs, it is commission only, and he is bringing home less than minimum wage earnings. My stomach stays in knots every day, because I am so stress and worried as to what is going to happen. One of my husband's co workers quit, because he has a wife and young children, and the week before Christmas he only brought home $100.00/

I'm sorry your husband was laid off. Yeah, you don't get much on unemployment. My husband was on it last year, thankfully for only a couple of weeks. I agree with you that it isn't right.