More states to cut long-term jobless benefits

U.S. military veterans meet potential employers at a job fair for former military personnel on the campus of Rutgers University March 13, 2012, in Newark, N.J. / Getty Images

(CBS News) Unemployment benefits will be cut Saturday for thousands more Americans who have been out of work for more than a year and a half as their states fail to meet tighter eligibility standards the federal government set earlier this year.

Nevada, New Jersey and Rhode Island will no longer provide federal benefits to recipients who have been out of work for more than 79 weeks, according to the National Employment Law Project, which tracks unemployment data nationwide.

The cuts leave Idaho as the sole state still providing benefits for people who have been unemployed between 79 and 99 weeks, and it's expected to no longer qualify for those benefits in August or September, according to Michael Evangelist, a policy analyst for the group. In February, 35 states were still qualified to provide such benefits.

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New Jersey will cut the most recipients of the three states Saturday, with about 29,000 losing their benefits, according to Brian T. Murray, a spokesman for the state's labor department. Nevada is expected to cut about 6,700 recipients and Rhode Island about 2,000, according to Evangelist.

Under the federal law that reauthorized unemployment benefits in February, a state's average jobless rate for the past three months had to be higher than a similar period of time during the past three years. The guidelines marked a change from the previous benefits law. As a result of the tighter requirements, states began to cut recipients from their rolls.

"Even if it's not ideal, even if it's not where we want it to be, there have been improvements," Murray said of New Jersey's jobless rate.

Despite having an unemployment rate of 9.2 percent, a full percentage point higher than the national average, New Jersey no longer meets the federal requirements, Murray said.

"Our rates were consistently high enough that we were eligible for it," said Murray. "The criteria was changed in the federal law, made it a little bit tighter."

The three states losing long-term unemployed benefits Saturday will still provide benefits for those who have been unemployed for up to 79 weeks, but those benefits are scheduled to expire at the end of the year unless Congress reauthorizes them.

[112844]

As soon as the unemployment benifits run out, the unemployed should go to Mexico. There must be a bunch of job openings there. After all , most of Mexico's workers are working for Rich Repulican business owners here in the U.S. " I DON'T NEED NO STINKIN VISA. "

[4780]

The people who don't want to come off unemployment refuse to apply for jobs that only pay hourly wages. there are plenty of labor jobs that pay a living wage. But People should just realize that the US, as well as the rest of the world, is broke. We are on the doorstep of the second dark age. Governments will fail and warlords will rise.

[cbs4111]

After these last 3 1/2 years, it's easy to assign blame - the bad economy is Obama's fault.

[112844]

Stupid idiot

[formerlyluvnut]

by ObamasGuppies July 7, 2012 8:26 AM EDT
Lets not forget that Muslim Obama isn't hurting when it comes to eating and his family takes lavish trips.
------------------------------------------------
1. Obama isn't muslim.
2. Being from SC you yo-yo' have chosen to ramain pre-historic so your opinions are meaningless.

[formerlyluvnut]

I retired in May of 2008 and GAWD it was perfect timing. Bored somewhat yes but I do NOT miss all the crap.

[JayJNYC]

Amen-if you can get out of the corporate rat race more power to you-the perspective from the beach is perfect

[19Marion66]

The more people who are dropped off the unemployment rolls, even if they can't find a job, the better the skewed percentages look for Obama even though so many people are suffering.

[1stlttightwad]

You know, it's amazing..the Danes once provided 5 years of unemployment and found that people "found" work in 4 years and 10 months..Then they cut it back to 4 years and guess what, people found work in 3 years and 10 months..IF you pay people to do nothing they will do just that..nothing. Teddy Roosevelt, the closet liberal said,to the effect and I am probably misquoting.."To end poverty you must not make it comfortable," Todays welfare recipients are TOO comfortable..How did your grandparents make it during the depression? No food stamps, no welfare, nothing..Simple, they picked themselves up by their own bootstraps and got to work. They planted gardens, they did odd jobs, they bartered with their neighbors. And one thing they had was pride....no gov man told them where to live, what to eat, or anything else. Women looked for a man with backbone, one that worked hard, had good morals and kept his word..Look what we have now..you cannot get welfare IF there is a man in the house..No father figure, no parental guidance, and NO ROLE model as to how to be a man and take responsibilty for HIS family. Thanks LBJ for your "GREAT SOCIETY" the sneakiest plan ever devised to keep the bIack people under the gov. control. To those who think the gov owes you a living..welcome to the new gov plantation...slaves

[formerlyluvnut]

That IS interesting.

[teapotfools]

That's right...you have to make it soooo uncomfortable that the poor take up armed robbery and guns....
Then they will be very comfortable taking YOUR MONEY and maybe your life...
THAT is what they call "an unintended consequence" of really dumb people like you coming up with really dumb policy decisions like YOURS.

[bbglow]

The plan is almost complete ... let the blame game continue. Neither party, dem or rep, will ever accept responsibility. Whomever is elected will just provide 4 more years of blame game politics while they continue to sell out the American worker abroad.

[melpol12]

Jobs are not coming back, those that say they will have no supportive evidence. The unemployment rate among young blacks is 25% and growing. But food stamp programs and healthcare for the poor will keep the American standard of living the highest in the world.

[112844]

Maybe you haven't been told by AM talk radio what the Tea Baggage Republicans did to the food stamp program.

[Rejco100]

These people are not going to like the HORRIFYING PRISON-LIKE & ALL-CONTROLLING US Homeless Shelter System, and being labeled FOR LIFE in their electronic medical records as CRAZY, ADDICTED, and ALCOHOLIC...