Now what?
It’s an agonizing question facing a record 10,000 jobless people in metro Detroit who will exhaust their unemployment benefits over the next month and a half. A whopping 43,000 residents are expected to confront the same fate by year’s end, according to the state’s Unemployment Insurance Agency.
With the recession 19 months deep and metro Detroit’s unemployment rate at 17.1%, the number of people losing benefits is expected to spike more than twentyfold over last year.
Without the average $310-a-week in state and federal benefits to protect against foreclosures and financial ruin, jobless residents are expected to inundate cash-strapped charities and local governments for food, clothes, shelter and help with bills.
“This is going to be a tidal wave that will overwhelm nonprofit service providers and local governments,” said Macomb County Board of Commissioners Chairman Paul Gieleghem, who is urging local governments and charities to scramble together a wide-reaching emergency plan.
Meanwhile, Congress is considering an extension of benefits by 13 weeks. But even if passed, a month or more could elapse before checks are sent out.
“I don’t know what we’re going to do,” said Jason Oziem of St. Clair Shores, who runs out of benefits this month. “There is no work out there. None.”
Jobless expected to overwhelm charities | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press
It’s an agonizing question facing a record 10,000 jobless people in metro Detroit who will exhaust their unemployment benefits over the next month and a half. A whopping 43,000 residents are expected to confront the same fate by year’s end, according to the state’s Unemployment Insurance Agency.
With the recession 19 months deep and metro Detroit’s unemployment rate at 17.1%, the number of people losing benefits is expected to spike more than twentyfold over last year.
Without the average $310-a-week in state and federal benefits to protect against foreclosures and financial ruin, jobless residents are expected to inundate cash-strapped charities and local governments for food, clothes, shelter and help with bills.
“This is going to be a tidal wave that will overwhelm nonprofit service providers and local governments,” said Macomb County Board of Commissioners Chairman Paul Gieleghem, who is urging local governments and charities to scramble together a wide-reaching emergency plan.
Meanwhile, Congress is considering an extension of benefits by 13 weeks. But even if passed, a month or more could elapse before checks are sent out.
“I don’t know what we’re going to do,” said Jason Oziem of St. Clair Shores, who runs out of benefits this month. “There is no work out there. None.”
Jobless expected to overwhelm charities | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press
