Calif. jobless claims at record high

June 1st, 2010, 1:00 am ·  by Mary Ann Milbourn

Unemployment claims in California hit 768,709 in April, a modern-day record and the highest during this recession, state Employment Development Department officials report.

The number comes after the U.S. Senate went into its Memorial Day recess without acting on a bill that would allow at least the more recently unemployed to continue to get extended jobless benefits.

Just two years ago in April — a year into California's recession — the unemployed filed 254,123 claims for benefits, EDD stats show. This April, that number more than tripled as the state remained at a record 12.6% unemployment rate, third highest in the country.

Claims are piling up in large part because Congress has approved four extensions of  the typical 26 weeks of unemployment in addition to so-called Fed-Ed for high unemployment states like California. Many of those laid off in California can now receive up to 99 weeks in benefits.

Those extensions, however, are up in the air after Congress recessed May 28 before the Senate could approve legislation allowing the more recently unemployed to continue to move into their next tier of jobless benefits until at least Nov. 30.  The Senate is due back June 7. If the bill is not approved, most of the unemployed will lose their benefits after completing their current tier of extended unemployment.

In addition, the latest bill drops the 65% subsidy for COBRA health insurance premiums that the government has been supplementing for the past year.

The latest bill also does nothing for the more than 111,000 Californians who have exhausted their 99 weeks of benefits.  Change. org has launched a grass roots campaign for the so-called "99ers" to get additional benefits for those who have now fallen off the unemployment rolls after exhausting their 99 weeks.

However, Republicans and a growing number of conservative Democrats are balking at granting what are already nearly two years of unemployment benefits at a time when the nation is running up record deficits. Many in the anti-extension camp believe that 99 weeks should be enough to find a job and continued unemployment benefits simply encourage people to stay on government aid rather than take any work that may be available.

Because the political situation in Washington is so up in the air, California's EDD is now advising the unemployed that their extended benefits may be delayed if the Senate does not act quickly when it returns June 7.