Tell Me Something Good!: Why Get a Job When I'm Getting a Check?!

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Why Get a Job When I'm Getting a Check?!

Recently, I was reading an article that claimed that unemployment benefits caused people to not seek work after being fired/laid off. My initial reaction was a confuse "What!?" As I read on, this idea began to make more sense me. While the amount of money you may be paid in unemployment benefits is not enough to maintain an enjoyable lifestyle, I can certainly understand why someone who was seeking employment may not accept "lesser" job offers in hopes of coming across something comperable to (or better than) their previous position. There's a lot less pressure to find a job when you know that at the very least, your electricity wont be terminated and your children won't have to be hungry. On the other hand, I think it's pretty awful (and honestly, irresponsible) to not even look for employment just because you are receiving those benefits. I feel that this sucks resources away from people who really need the assistance, and are actually making an effort to provide for their families.

Do you think that receiving state benefits makes a person less likely to seek employment?

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Kimberly · 766 weeks ago

I think it depends on the person. We received it last year when my husband lost his job. But he went in search of a job immediately and was only out of work for 3 months. So it helped us over that hurdle. But I don't believe it's good to keep people on state aid long term. It didn't appear their checks into whether you were seeking employment were very strong. I'm following you btw from MBC. Really liking your blog! ~Kimberly
www.stinkerpinker.com
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Ms. Understood · 766 weeks ago

My husband lost his job three months before our wedding. The company had to do that to all their staff and pretty much kept him around at $100 a week to do the finances for the boss. ($100 the amount that would not affect his unemployment). Even thought he was still with them technically and even though the boss assured him that as soon as they secured new contracts he would be back, my husband sent out resumes daily. Thankfully, he was hired back right after we got back from our honeymoon.
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JuneFreakingCleaver · 766 weeks ago

As a person who is receiving the very last of the 99 weeks of unemployment compensation now (after working at two part time jobs for minimum wage - less than unemployment), I have been unable to find a job - I guess I'll have to be happy with minimum wage for the forseeable future if someone will hire me.

My husband is also laid off, so unemployment money is the only thing we have going for us.

And we're both over 50 - and age discrimination DOES exist.

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Carolee · 766 weeks ago

You have to laugh- we have an acquaintance who was excited to be able to sit around and do nothing for a little over $200/wk. We could never live on that!

Of course he's almost 50 and lives with mom 1/2 the time.

We recently went through the unemployment thing- no fun!

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BoyBeCool 69p · 766 weeks ago

I do agree with you June regarding age discrimination. It does exists, especially when "youth dominated" industries are concerned. Like social media marketing for example. So, interviewing and hiring managers in their 20-s don't feel comfortable hiring older people, even the candidates in their 30-s don't make the cut.
I recently declined a temp job that paid $13 ah hour. It wasn't worth the hassle of commute and traffic, extra child care etc. Though, I do not receive benefits, I certainly don't think people should jump on every offer if they can wait it out, provided they are looking for a job.
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Ms. Understood · 766 weeks ago

June and BBC, I agree with your points completely. But to me, both your situations are different from those who don't make any attempts BECAUSE they are getting a check. I know a guy who for the entire almost two years did nothing to find a job. When he got the notice that the aid was going to end, he entered a training/job placement program in healthcare. He could have done that in week 1. He chose to go on an almost two year vacation.
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Kimmberly · 766 weeks ago

New Follower thanks to MBC -- Thanks for joining the group Simply Follow.
Bizee Mama
aka Kimberly www.bizeemamax6.blogspot.com www.twitter.com/bizeebeauty

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Christina 47p · 766 weeks ago

When my husband lost his job last year (While I was 5 months pregnant. How fun :| ) We used his unemployment to avoid dipping into our savings. He looked for a job for about 2 months, found a few, but they would have required a pretty big move. Once he decided to take the plunge into real estate, we had to go off of it, since he wasnt technically "looking" anymore, but those few months did us well. We live pretty frugally, so it was almost exactly enough to cover all of our monthly expenses.

There's absolutely NOTHING wrong, or shameful about being on unemployment when you can't find a job. You family NEEDS to be taken care of. It's the people who take advantage of that, and dont even bother looking, at all. I can totally understand not taking a position if it's not going to be enough to take care of your family, or not going to pay you your worth, but at least LOOK, lol.

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chriswife 58p · 766 weeks ago

Both my husband and I got laid off last year. C-Dub was laid off for 5 months. And just sitting at home really wasn't an option. We NEEDED more money. I got laid off at the end of the year when I was 7 months pregnant. So no one would hire me when I was about to have a baby, then go on maternity leave for 6 weeks. I had a few prospects lined up and a buzz in a few peoples ears through networking. But no job. So I sat at home and took those checks. It made what would have been an unpaid maternity leave, much easier to bear.
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Margaret · 766 weeks ago

I was dating a guy that didn't even look for a job til he ran out of unemployment and it made my upset because he was living off of money that wasn't really his and he didn't seem to care about it. I was on unemployment once but I was looking for a job and not just living on unemployment.
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Audrey · 766 weeks ago

Going through this right now (unemployment). I think if someone is depending on their unemployment, they are more than likely dependent anyway (those are the exceptions I think). For the most part, everyone I know who is unemployed (including myself) has looked and just haven't been hired. Heck, I looked WHILE I was at my previous job and still couldn't find anything. The money is helpful but not enough to make me feel comfortable enough to depend on it. Here in Florida, they require you to look for work and report your searches.
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keyalus · 766 weeks ago

I got laid once off a long time ago and I know that the amount I received was only enough to pay my mortgage. Maybe it is just GA, but there is a cap to the amount you can receive and that cap may have no relation to your previous salary. I *had* to find another job because I wouldn't have been able to pay anything else. Plus, I wasn't too far out of college so I didn't have a savings cushion.

I can see how someone who received benefits comparable to their old compensation would use this as a crutch. Also, this whole situation of extending unemployment benefits for almost a year is not normal in my understanding. I think I would have only gotten benefits for 3 months. The gov't keeps extending benefits now due to the poor economy.

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Anon · 766 weeks ago

I don't think so at all. I don't know many people who have worked 20+ yrs at a job, then got laid off, be proud of getting a state check. Ultimately, people are not getting hired because they started working with a GED or just a highschool diploma. Their age also plays a factor; how much computer knowledge do they have? Do they know how to type? There are so many things that are keeping people away from jobs, especially those that worked in labor jobs for most of their adult lives. I don't believe that majority of those that are jobless are lazy and just waiting on a check.
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-CK · 766 weeks ago

Wow! This is a TOUGH question. It kind of sounds like one of those "Do you feed a man a fish or teach a man how to fish?" sort of questions. But sometimes we provide programs like this on good faith that people will still be productive with their time and resources. I like what a lot of the comments contribute here. I learned a lot about this topic just from hearing from people who are going through this.

-CK
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Janet · 766 weeks ago

Browsing through SITS comments today and found your blog. I'm actually just newly going through this. I haven't even gotten my first unemployment check, but I was recently let go from a six year job due to budget cuts. I AM looking, but I will say, I refuse to accept a job that pays me LESS than my unemployment will be (which is about half what my salary WAS). So I get it, the thing about not working, when you can get paid more, or close to the same, to stay home.
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