It's pretty paltry in the US. You can't take social security until 65 (I think it's 67 now). You get unemployment but it's administered at the state level and in most states it caps out at under $800 a month, but it's been a while. A moderate mortgage is twice that.
Also, we get our health benefits from companies and not the government, so as soon as you are laid off, all your health benefits are no longer paid by the company. You can pay for it yourself, but with a family, it's easily over $1000 a month with even meager health insurance.
Welfare is hugely capped as are food stamps. You can only be on them for so long and it's such a social stigma in the US, most newly fired people don't even consider it.
On top of that, US companies don't like hiring people who have been laid off. They think something along the lines of "well if they got laid off there, there must be a reason." It's ironic because layoffs are generally the fault of the leadership, yet the workforce takes the blame. Corporate leadership likes to think they are there for a reason too and therefore infallible.
I never thought I'd be playing the, "who has the worse government." between the US and India. Honestly I thought India would be better at social protections than the US is, simply because every modern country is better than the US is.
All that said, I'm sorry to hear India is going through this. It really sucks. We have the highest percentage of people who gave up looking for work than we've had for a long time (if ever). It will taint your workforce for years to come. The US still hasn't gotten over it and it's been going on full force for 20+ years now.
>>You get unemployment but it's administered at the state level and in most states it caps out at under $800 a month, but it's been a while.
My state is 50% of your pay upto ~$1,500 a month, this seems to be about the average, i can find no state that under $800, the lowest is Mississippi coming in at $940
That depends on where you live, using Mississipi as an example, the average home is $113,000 with a traditional mortgage the payment would be $576 no where near the $1,600 you caim is a "moderate mortgage"
In my area in the midwest the average home is closer to $150,000 however that still would not be a $1,600 mortgage
That would be about a $360,000 mortgage, almost double the national average home price
>>On top of that, US companies don't like hiring people who have been laid off.
This has largely been disproved as a myth or as out dated thinking, that may have been the case 20 or more years ago, but I do not believe that is the case today
>The US still hasn't gotten over it and it's been going on full force for 20+ years now.
The US still has not gotten over it but it has not "been going full force" for 20 years, far from it.
Government Intervention in the market, and various other factors masked some systemic problems, in the attempt to prevent more damage the government and other actors have simply band aided over the problems that are now a festering infection just waiting to be exposed
has the actual maximum weekly benefit numbers...yes, Mississippi is the lowest at a maximum of $235/w.
Benefits are usually for up to 26 weeks (some states are less.)
Note though--
1. This is the max state benefit you can receive. Roughly speaking, If you earned less than 104 times that the prior year you will get less.
2. They can deduct/delay benefits if you are receiving severance (depends on the state)
3. If you earn anything (get a part-time job, or some contract work,) while receiving benefits, that will be deducted. (Exactly how depends on the state).
4. You don't get benefits if you resigned or were fired for cause.
5. You have to be actively seeking work (so no vacation to recharge your batteries after being laid off....they can and do check travel records.)
6. Job search costs and paying for the full costs of healthcare is usually in excess of what you will get in State benefits.
1. Yes and the claim I was refuting was the MAX was less than $800 per month, at $235/wk that means the max is $940 per month, which is more than the claim I was refuting
2. If you earn additional income then yes the government benefits should be reduced, I fail to see why this is a bad thing, Unemployment is not a job, it is allow people to have some income if they find themselves with out a job through no fault of their own. if they are getting income from other sources they should not be collecting unemployment as they are not unemployed
3. See #2
4. There are some exception to this (like changes terms and conditions of employment), but unemployment is for people that find themselves jobless through no fault of their own, if you are at fault for your joblessness you should not collect unemployment as it should be assumed you understood the consequences of your actions which created your joblessness
5. Yes a person on unemployment should have to prove they are seeking employment, I fail to understand why this controversial. No the government should not pay for you to take a vacation or "recharge your batteries"
6. What are "Job Search costs", going to indeed and sending emails cost money now? by health care I assume you mean health insurance, which is really different than health care. And is really well outside the topic of this conversation, unemployment is not designed to cover health insurance costs nor should it.
1. Was not disagreeing. And there are more than 4 weeks in a month. :-)
2. Yes, but arguably severance is something you earned (vested) over many years of service...it's not income for work you are currently performing. Some states are stricter about sources of income while unemployed than others.
3. Which is a disincentive to work part time while unemployed. If there is a dollar for dollar reduction of benefits (most states are not stupid enough to do this) it's better to sit home than try to work part time while looking for full time employment.
4. Life is complicated. What if you have to resign to take care of a dying spouse? These are all issues states grapple with. I'll note in the story we're commenting upon, the workers were basically blackmailed to declare that they were "resigning."
"The HR representative calls an employee from a list and she is heard warning him to “Quit by 10 am, or you’ll be terminated and no benefits or relieving letter will be provided”"
Of course, this was outside the US, but many times there is pressure to say you "resigned" rather than be "fired".
5. OK. Doesn't mean that taking a short time off from looking for work isn't beneficial. We're not talking about going to Hawaii here.
6. Travelling to job interviews/job fairs. Writing and sending out resumes. Paying for educational/training resources. It's meant to tide you over between episodes of unemployment. It's not charity. It's insurance the employer was paying into while you were working there. FUTA and SUTA taxes pay for the program.
And if you employer was paying for some of your health care benefits while you were employed, and now you have to pay that share plus an admin fee under COBRA, while your income has gone to zero--how are health insurance costs then supposed to be covered? (Yes, you can have lots of money saved up...not feasible for everyone.) What exactly do you think UI should be paying for if not health insurance/care costs? Food and shelter only?
Like I said it's been a while. Don't forget federal and state taxes get taken out, so you don't get the actual number in the bank.
>That depends on where you live, using Mississipi as an example, the average home is $113,000 with a traditional mortgage the payment would be $576 no where near the $1,600 you caim is a "moderate mortgage"
In my area in the midwest the average home is closer to $150,000 however that still would not be a $1,600 mortgage
That would be about a $360,000 mortgage, almost double the national average home price
Yes, you have a point. If you are a highly paid IT person and happen to have bought a really cheap house in a really low cost state. You got me. Don't forget property taxes and insurance. Also, you are assuming current interest rates and a 30 year mortgage. Not many banks refinance to unemployed people, so you're stuck with what you're stuck with.
>This has largely been disproved as a myth or as out dated thinking, that may have been the case 20 or more years ago, but I do not believe that is the case today
Got a link for that? If it's subsided, it's fairly recently.
>The US still has not gotten over it but it has not "been going full force" for 20 years, far from it.
Government Intervention in the market, and various other factors masked some systemic problems, in the attempt to prevent more damage the government and other actors have simply band aided over the problems that are now a festering infection just waiting to be exposed
I was referring to outsourcing. I'm not sure what you are referring to.
Also, we get our health benefits from companies and not the government, so as soon as you are laid off, all your health benefits are no longer paid by the company. You can pay for it yourself, but with a family, it's easily over $1000 a month with even meager health insurance.
Welfare is hugely capped as are food stamps. You can only be on them for so long and it's such a social stigma in the US, most newly fired people don't even consider it.
On top of that, US companies don't like hiring people who have been laid off. They think something along the lines of "well if they got laid off there, there must be a reason." It's ironic because layoffs are generally the fault of the leadership, yet the workforce takes the blame. Corporate leadership likes to think they are there for a reason too and therefore infallible.
I never thought I'd be playing the, "who has the worse government." between the US and India. Honestly I thought India would be better at social protections than the US is, simply because every modern country is better than the US is.
All that said, I'm sorry to hear India is going through this. It really sucks. We have the highest percentage of people who gave up looking for work than we've had for a long time (if ever). It will taint your workforce for years to come. The US still hasn't gotten over it and it's been going on full force for 20+ years now.