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Should people who quit get unemployment benefits, too?

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Re: Should people who quit get unemployment benefits, too?

#41

Post by Sayrus »

rnewme wrote: post #26
anotherhue wrote: post #6

Which is the greater moral hazard? Enabling couch-potatoes or enabling corps to have a 40 hour worker at below the poverty line cost?

I would say couch potato. a body at rest tends to stay at rest, and a body in motion tends to stay in motion, so I think someone already working is more likely to change jobs, put pressure on the employer etc. Couch potato IMHO is much less likely over time to change his situation, let alone join union, be part of some change etc.

There is also the in-between where these benefits allow you to quit and then look for another job. Something that can be hard to do if you are working long hours as you'd need to take days off that may or may not be approved depending on the company you are working for.

Re: Should people who quit get unemployment benefits, too?

#42

Post by px43 »

ketchupdebugger wrote: post #7

Should get unemployment if you dont have a job and are actively looking for one.

Including taking classes in your desired field IMO, not just being actively engaged in two hiring processes at least once a week (which is what my state mandates for UEI).

Re: Should people who quit get unemployment benefits, too?

#43

Post by charlie0 »

ketchupdebugger wrote: post #18
Molitor5901 wrote: post #10

Yes, but with limits. How to prevent job hopping just to stay on benefits? Taking a paid vacation before the next job? I see opportunities for abuse. In the United States at least, AFAIK, employers pay for unemployment. Who pays when the employee voluntarily separates from an employer? It seems unfair to make the employer pay for an employee who left and no longer works there. I presume that cost will be paid by the…

No one is quitting their job to just be on unemployment. Unemployment benefit is funded by unemployment tax on both corporations and individuals. The unemployment benefit for CA is $40 to $450 per week. (You still have to pay income tax on that) Its much lower in conservative states. Its enough to smooth things out but not enough to live off of, you are still going to be digging into savings. Additionally you have to…

You're correct because technically, you can't get unemployment if you quit. You have to be let go or fired in order to apply.

Re: Should people who quit get unemployment benefits, too?

#44

Post by wegfawefgawefg »

throwadobe wrote: post #36
trosi wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A simpler solution to #2 would be to raise minimum wages.

Cue inflation. A better solution is to tax capital gains and corporate income at a rate that is closer to personal income taxes so that everyone pays their fair share.

I think the US has enough tax money it just needs to use it more efficiently. If you look at the government revenue per capita of the US it isn't that far off from Germany or Japan. Construction in Japan certainly has a higher price floor than in the US so there is no excuse there, and the various government offices in Japan operate quickly and efficiently despite offering much lower pay and worse hours, in a much stricter work environment.

Basically, I think its a culture problem. You could give the US 10 trillion a year in Taxes rather than 3 but the dmv is still going to have a line, take 3 hours to get through and have a rude morbidly obese woman behind the counter.

Re: Should people who quit get unemployment benefits, too?

#45

Post by derelicta »

jojobas wrote: post #35
0cf8612b2e1e wrote: post #15

As with everything in America, I assume it is a non-starter to make more universal benefits. Sure it would be fine if I got unemployment for quitting, but not those people . They would just squander the opportunity! Best we all suffer rather than someone I do not like getting the same benefit.

Supporting others works as long as the majority is prosperous, provides assistance (taxes) voluntarily, and receiving help is sort of shameful and still keeps you kinda needy. You don't those people to become a political force enough to demand more assistance, we know how that ends.

and how does it end?

Re: Should people who quit get unemployment benefits, too?

#46

Post by ketchupdebugger »

Molitor5901 wrote: post #37
ketchupdebugger wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No one is quitting their job to just be on unemployment. Unemployment benefit is funded by unemployment tax on both corporations and individuals. The unemployment benefit for CA is $40 to $450 per week. (You still have to pay income tax on that) Its much lower in conservative states. Its enough to smooth things out but not enough to live off of, you are still going to be digging into savings. Additionally you have to…

No one is quitting their job to just be on unemployment. I can understand someone who is unemployed and actively searching for a professional job to believe that, but I think that looks at the issue from a privileged position. No one is quitting their professional offices jobs just to be on unemployment, but I don't think the same can be said of lower income sh*t jobs. Such a declarative statement of "no one" cannot…

Low wage jobs only net you $40 a week. Thats $160 a month. Even if you pay no income tax, try living on $160 a month in any where America. Thats barely enough to pay for groceries for a single person for a month.

Re: Should people who quit get unemployment benefits, too?

#47

Post by anonzzzies »

rnewme wrote: post #26
anotherhue wrote: post #6

Which is the greater moral hazard? Enabling couch-potatoes or enabling corps to have a 40 hour worker at below the poverty line cost?

I would say couch potato. a body at rest tends to stay at rest, and a body in motion tends to stay in motion, so I think someone already working is more likely to change jobs, put pressure on the employer etc. Couch potato IMHO is much less likely over time to change his situation, let alone join union, be part of some change etc.

People who sit at home doing nothing tend to get very depressed and ‘self medicate’ (drink, smoke, eat, etc) to fight that depression. I like to believe that most people really don’t want to get to that point and the reason they quit is not to basically slow-suicide. I don’t know about the numbers, but as I saw in my life, most people want to keep busy as they don’t know what to do with themselves. Sure there are exceptions and it might be different per country; would be interesting to see stats if there are any.

Re: Should people who quit get unemployment benefits, too?

#48

Post by bearjaws »

anotherhue wrote: post #6

Which is the greater moral hazard? Enabling couch-potatoes or enabling corps to have a 40 hour worker at below the poverty line cost?

The greatest threat is a couch potato who is going into a job they hate to bring everyone down with them.

Re: Should people who quit get unemployment benefits, too?

#49

Post by 0cf8612b2e1e »

trosi wrote: post #22
anotherhue wrote: post #6

Which is the greater moral hazard? Enabling couch-potatoes or enabling corps to have a 40 hour worker at below the poverty line cost?

A simpler solution to #2 would be to raise minimum wages.

Health care seems like the bigger root problem. It limits job mobility because people get tied to their employer’s coverage.

Re: Should people who quit get unemployment benefits, too?

#50

Post by losvedir »

It's not really "insurance" at that point then, is it? The system is set up with lots of people paying into it to cover the expenses of the relatively few that need to draw on it, in the relatively low probability event that you need to. Insurance lets you get bigger payouts with smaller premiums.

If everyone can easily and frequently draw from it at will, I doubt it's sustainable as is. Either benefits will have to go down or premiums will have to go up.

I didn't see the article address this aspect of it.

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