For many without jobs, the unemployment benefits offered by our government are walls of protection against hunger and debt. Unfortunately, even these benefits have a limit, and many have exhausted theirs.

Last month, however, President Bush signed into law a second emergency extension for Unemployment Insurance. And for those who need it badly, the wait can’t be short enough. With 21 states and the District of Columbia having an average unemployment rate of more than 6% for three months running, the additional 20 weeks of unemployment benefits is a godsend.

Survival

Many people are now resorting to methods that they would never have thought of doing a few years ago. Shotgun application for as many jobs is the norm, with only a few interviews happening. With hundreds of thousands of unemployed Americans and more losing their jobs as the months pass, finding and getting a job has never been tougher.

Some families are making the hard choice of juggling whatever money is available, choosing which bill to pay and which to allow to lapse – in the hopes that they can recover in the coming months. Many have maxed out their credit limits, while others are facing foreclosure.

More and more people are terrified of their dwindling savings, and thus sell items deemed unnecessary. Some are even selling prized possessions just to get by. Such belt-tightening, budget-stretching efforts have had a huge impact on America’s lifestyle.

The Great Depression, Part II

Having become integral to daily survival, claims for unemployment benefits have set record levels. “States are really overwhelmed in terms of responding to claims,” according to Andrew Stutter of the National Employment Law Project. State governments have added extra staff members to their unemployment insurance offices, plus extra phone lines and extended work hours, all to be able to service the growing number of our countrymen in need.

With all this in mind, the second extension for unemployment benefits couldn’t have come at a better time – and hopefully, it will help many of us get back on our feet, or at least for the meantime.

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