Scott I see your point but for those that don't generally earn significant salaries the $405 a week is a big deal. There are many in NJ that still exist on minimum wage and they are not students.
Noreen that really is shameful as I walk through New York I increasingly see more and more homeless people and to provide benefits to the wealthy while people are living on the streets is reprehensible. The unemployment system is little more than a stipend for many to get them through but it can be helpful to offset job hunting expenses and day to day expenses.
The German question is a fantastic one and goes straight to the heart of the entire EU situation.The euro zone problem is not, contrary to what many a bureaucrat claims, entirely an issue of profligate nations vs those saintly Teutonic nations.Granted their spending habits play a role, but it isn't the root of the problem.Greece, Portugal, Spain etc have artificially strong currencies because of their affiliation with Germany.During the good times, they had artificially low sovereign bond yields, which contributed to their more profligate nature.Germany, on the other hand, has benefited greatly from having artificially LOW exchange rates.Ta Da!Strong exports thus great employment.Add to that Germany, oh and they'll never admit this, enjoys artificially low yields as well.How's that?Because the trade of the post-Lehman crisis is to short the profligates and go LONG the German bonds, thus artificially driving demand for their bonds up, thus lowering yields.
Right, well, I realize that sounds too callous. Maybe I was being too flippant. I realize that a lot of people need it. I went off umemployment and started doing consulting/freelancing, but eventually I went back to find a W-2.
The politicians all want to make employment seem simple and neat for their soundbits (Taxes! China! Interest rates!). The reality is that it's far more complex.
But here's a question I've always had: What's with the German economy? They have demographic problems, they have huge government programs, they are surrounded by European issues, but their economy is always decent. Maybe it's just cause they make good stuff.
Of course we have Apple -- if you ignore the slaves in FoxConn.
One more thing about unemployment. In NYS, recipients are automatically eligible for SNAP (food stamps), without regard to assets or investments. So someone with massive investments and a multi-million dollar house is still eligble for government aid to buy food, as long as those assets are not liquid.
i always thought unemployment checks were like carrots on sticks: I assumed you actually had to do something (like look for work) to get them. In fact, it's easy to beat the system.
It is true people really do define themselves by their ability to get employment and being unemployed increases the financial and emotional burden I have often wondered if unemployment checks school come with some behavioral modification training to offset the depression and lack of self confidence so many unemployed experience.
The blogs and comments posted on Investor Uprising do not reflect the views of Investor Uprising, PRNewswire, or its sponsors. Investor Uprising, PRNewswire, and its sponsors do not assume responsibility for any comments, claims, or opinions made by authors and bloggers. They are no substitute for your own research and should not be relied upon for trading or any other purpose.
Forget about business growth as long as the future of tax rates remains unclear, regulation continues to expand in unpredictable ways, and legislation keeps creating increasingly onerous burdens.
To save this item to your list of favorite Investor Uprising content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
If you found this interesting or useful, please use the links to the services below to share it with other readers. You will need a free account with each service to share an item via that service.
Tweet This