DeLauro Meets With CT Residents Facing Loss of Federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation

NEW HAVEN, CT—Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3) today heard from Connecticut residents who are facing the imminent expiration of federal emergency unemployment compensation, or have recently lost benefits. DeLauro had repeatedly called for an extension of those benefits to be included in the budget deal passed by the House of Representatives last week. Unfortunately, Republican leadership decided not to do so, cutting off a vital lifeline for millions of people.

“The fact that the House of Representatives went home for the holidays with such critical work undone is unconscionable,” DeLauro said. “Millions of long-term unemployed are about to see a vital lifeline cut off, right in the middle of the holiday season. Congress’s top priority should be restoring opportunity and the promise of a better future for all Americans. So why are we forcing people who are already struggling to get by into a more desperate state?”

Federal emergency unemployment compensation benefits are set to expire on December 28. About 26,000 people in Connecticut--and 1.3 million nationally--will lose benefits on that day. Another 1.9 million across the nation will suffer the same fate by June, about 28,700 of them in Connecticut. By the end of 2014, 85,100 people in Connecticut will have lost benefits.

The end of federal emergency unemployment compensation is also bad for the overall economy. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office recently predicted that allowing benefits to expire will be a drag on our economic growth next year. Despite the economy’s progress since 2008, there are still 1.3 million fewer jobs available. Approximately four million Americans have been looking for work for more than six months.

At today’s meeting, DeLauro heard from Bill Villano, Executive Director of the CT Workforce Alliance; Thomas Knowlton; Felix Pagan; Bruce Hirschfield; and Mike Carlo, who are all facing the loss of, or have recently lost, unemployment benefits.

Villano said: “CT continues to struggle in this economic recovery and has regained just 48.6% of the jobs lost in the recession which is well below the national recovery rate of 82.8%. Projections call for modest growth and little change in the unemployment rate while 25,000 CT workers are facing the loss of their benefits at the end of the month.”