KPLU Local News
(2010-06-15)
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people looking for work search on computers at a Worksource office
AP Photo
Most people who've filed for unemployment benefits in Washington will tell you it's not that easy to get them .you have to prove you've paid into the system and complete detailed job logs showing you're actively looking for work. Once you're in, the state and federal governments will provide a percentage of your last salary - and because of the bad economy, job seekers who aren't getting work can extend their benefits now for up to 99 weeks - or nearly two years. But after that, the state cuts you off. Since February this year - that number has grown dramatically.
"The number right now is about 12,000 people who have exhausted all of their unemployment entitlements, " says Jamie Swift, a communications manager with the state employment security department. He says the first person to exhaust their benefits showed up in the state's system in November of last year (2009). Now there are enough people with this status to populate a small town. He says it's hard to make a blanket statement about what happens to them.
"Some of them end up finding work eventually, some go back to school for training, and others likely continue to struggle."
The state has no real way to track people once they stop drawing benefits. Last year, the most unemployment claims came from carpenters, construction laborers, factory workers and truck drivers.
In May, temporary jobs created by the US census made up for several thousand jobs lost in other sectors.
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