National Employment Law Project finds average unemployed worker has applied for 29 jobs

(Washington, D.C.) – Rep. Sander Levin spoke in opposition to the Workforce Reinvestment & Education Act and highlighted Republican refusal to address the issue of the long-term unemployed.

"This is the wrong bill at the wrong time," said Rep. Sander Levin. "341,000 people lost their jobs in April. The unemployment rate rose to 6 percent in April – it has not topped 6 percent since 1994. Over 15 million people are out of work or working part-time because they can’t find full-time work, and over 20% of the unemployed have been out of work for more than six months. Over 1.1 million workers have run out of unemployment benefits but have not yet been able to find work. What is the Republican response? Pass a bill to eliminate the Employment Service!"

A survey by the National Employment Law Project (NELP) found that the average unemployed worker had applied for 29 different jobs. According to the Department of Labor, there are more than three unemployed workers for every job opening. The NELP survey also found that workers trying to survive on unemployment benefits or after their benefits run out are facing real hardships. More than half have delayed medical care or reduced spending on food to save money. The majority have had to dig deep into their savings, and nearly half have gone into debt. A third of unemployed workers have had trouble playing their rent or electrical bills.

"Workers are not out of work for lack of trying, they are out of work for lack of jobs," said Rep. Levin. "Congress should act to help them, and their families, through this difficult period, not pass a bill to eliminate the U.S. Employment Service, the agency responsible for connecting dislocated workers with jobs, and force an ever-increasing number of workers to compete for a shrinking pool of job training services."

Levin is a co-sponsor of H.R. 1652, the Unemployment Benefits Extension Act, which would provide an additional 13 weeks of benefits to workers who have exhausted their benefits without finding work and would extend the overall program through the end of the year.

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