It's time to transform our unemployment system

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

As the U.S. prepares to celebrate Labor Day, more than 7 million jobless workers face dire prospects as federal pandemic unemployment compensation programs are scheduled to end the same day - Monday, Sept. 6.

These jobless aid programs, created by Congress in the CARES Act in March 2020, have been one of the success stories of the pandemic. The money has helped nearly 53 million workers and their families pay their bills and afford basic necessities and bolstered the economy with $800 billion to recover from the effects of the coronavirus crisis and avert a deeper recession.

Ending these programs could not come at a worse time, as cases related to the COVID delta variant surge, wildfires blaze out of control, and hurricane season intensifies - threatening further job losses and making it even more urgent to fix state unemployment programs.

The CARES Act programs temporarily filled in some of the huge gaps and inadequacies in state unemployment programs. When the programs were set to expire earlier this year, millions of jobless workers made their voices heard and Congress passed the American Rescue Plan, which extended the programs to Sept. 6.

But in spite of this, over the last three months, governors in 26 states, spurred on by corporate America, have unilaterally decided that pandemic jobless aid is no longer needed. These governors moved to prematurely discontinue these programs well before the Sept. 6 end date, cutting off jobless workers and families from this crucial aid and turning their backs on constituents who fought for and need these benefits.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/it-s-time-to-transform-our-unemployment-system/ar-AAO6Ct5

[RicROC]

1. Germany helps with employment and unemployment

Although this post is not specifically mentioning minimum wage, Repubs are stating that people are refusing to go to work while they have unemployment income. Yet, workers do not want to return as slaves with less than adequate income.

In Germany the gov't makes sure everyone is making a livable wage by supplementing the income from the employers, hence, one makes an income by working. If, for example, the gov't determined the minimum wage should be 15€/hour, yet some small business can only afford to pay 10€/hour, then the gov't kicks in the extra 5€/hr in the paycheck. (I'm sure the gov't determines what a particular business should pay but that's another aspect).

Just last night at a dinner party, the topic of the minimum wage for restaurant wait staff came up. I heard something like $2.50/hour? that's ludicrous. The wait staff should expect the same wage as everyone else and if I end up paying a little more for the entree, I then, as a courtesy I add a tip of 10%. (I would not want to pay 20% on top of paying extra for the food prices.) Frankly, I have always wondered why the tip is based on the price of the food. My impression is that I get the same service for a $20 entree as with a $75 entree, although the waiter might be wearing a black apron at the $75 place.