Senate unemployment extension plan fails despite public support

By Balitang America Staff

Jan. 10, 2014

The Senate Democrats’ plan to extend jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed collapsed yesterday amid party bickering over funding.

The setback threatens efforts to help 1.3 million people whose benefits expired late last month.

Most Americans, however, believe Congress should extend long-term unemployment benefits.

A new Quinnipac University poll found 58 percent of registered voters said they supported a three-month extension of the benefits.

The poll indicates a partisan divide, with 83 percent of democrats and 54 percent of independents supporting an extension—while 54 percent of Republicans opposed the extension.

Meanwhile, the latest jobs report from the department of labor is falling short of expectations.

According to the report, 74,000 jobs were added in December.

That’s far short of the 193,000 additional jobs economists had been expecting—making December the weakest month for job growth since January 2011.

The labor department also reports the unemployment rate fell from 7 to 6.7 percent in November—the lowest level since october 2008.

Officials say it’s mostly because more Americans stopped looking for jobs.