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Jobless fearful as benefits about to run out
Congress works on extention of assistance
BY AMEERAH CETAWAYO Gazette Reporter

    The state Department of Labor has seen a rise in calls this week from people worried about the extension of jobless benefits currently stalled in a last-minute legislative battle.
    “They can be confusing, and often they’re calling just to seek reassurance,” DOL spokeswoman Michelle Duffy said in an e-mail.
    Democrats in Congress have been trying to pass a bill to extend jobless benefits for another six weeks until April 5. The bill is only a temporary measure as lawmakers work on a measure to cover the rest of the year.
    Without action, 400 people in the Capital Region will exhaust their benefits today, the Feb. 28 deadline. By the end of next week, 2,200 will be added to that number. And without a full-fledged plan that covers the rest of the year, the state estimates that each week, 400 people locally will lose benefits.
    The state posts messages, charts and benefit extension calculators on its Web site, http://www.labor.state. ny.us, to keep the public apprised regarding benefits. The agency even has a fan page on Facebook, which was flooded with comments by the end of the week.
    “So when do they plan on voting again for this extension? I am so nervous. I have applied to over 500 jobs and only had five interviews and have proof of them,” wrote state resident Joanne Roberts. “My benefits run out on March 9! Then what do I do?”
    New York City resident Frank Stumpo wrote on the state’s site that he wants a job, not an unemployment check.
    “I hate living like this but just hoping. That’s all. My last check is the last week of April, the 30th,” he wrote. ....................>>>>.............>>>>..................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01100&AppName=1