Someone called it the Great Recession and for 15 million unemployed Americans, their suffering could go on for years. Most have no savings and are getting close to the end of their unemployment benefits. Who would have believed that a tragedy like this could befall the richest nation on earth. This is one of the 713 comments made in response to the article in the New York Times today.
Welcome to my world. 62 years old, and apparently now permanently unemployable because I'm 'overqualified' - the new euphemism for too old. Forget my resume and former career, I aged out of that but for very rare freelance gigs. Forget any new one because no one is hiring anyone over 50 if they don't have a very unique talent. Savings gone, last dime gone, no benefits of any kind (did I mention that old means uninsurable?) and no state agencies that will help with rent or anything except food and slightly lower utilities if one doesn't have minor children. Now it's borrow from friends who know they might never get it back. So much for working all your life if you didn't make millions doing it and put it all in a sock.
Roughly 2.7 million jobless people will lose their unemployment cheques before the end of April unless Congress approves the Obama administration's proposal to extend the payments.
Jean Eisen 57 has been out of work for 2 years, she used to sell beauty salon products. With no unemployment cheque left, she has survived on local food banks for her groceries and has learned to live without drugs for high blood pressure and cholesterol. With no health insurance, she has turned to religion for solace and hope. She and her husband have to survive on his $1595 monthly disability cheque and the rent on their apartment is $1380 a month. "We are looking at the very real possibility of being homeless" she said.
What a tragic state of affairs, middle-class Americans suddenly as poor as church mice, and God forbid they get sick from all the stress, with no health insurance, they can't afford it.
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