Unemployment Benefits Ending Soon

Alternative Main Street News |About 1.5 million jobless Americans whose 99 weeks of receiving financial assistance from the government have ended are struggling to survive without any income. The unemployment insurance of the Americans, known as 99ers, has reached its end, leaving them searching for a new source of income before they find a new job, the VOA reported.

Figures show that although the US recession ended 15 months ago, the unemployment rate is still close to 10 percent.

"There is literally only one job opening for every five unemployed workers, so four out of five unemployed workers have actually no chance of finding a new job," VOA quoted economist Heidi Shierholtz as saying.

Many American employers have either reduced their employees or completely shut down their business due to bankruptcy.

There have been attempts in parts of the US to provide training and guidance to help the jobless but the problem remains unsolved.

Greg Rosen, a 99er, said he hoped US Congress would take action and extend the insurance.

He has launched the 99ers Union this month -- an organization of 18 internet groups of 99ers with the aim of convincing the government to extend the financial assistance for the jobless.

The US government however has so far rejected the demands of jobless Americans to extend the unemployment insurance.

"Yes, you can keep feeding the benefits and the like, sooner or later that pool of money's gone and then you've got nothing," said Pennsylvania State Representative Scott Petri.