In the feel-good-story of the day (week?), the Daily News profiles Salvatore Forte, owner of Bay Ridge boutique and cafe Hom (aptly pronounced "home"), who has been giving free brunch to the unemployed since October. All it takes is a phone call ahead, and this is no soup kitchen fare—the menu includes such selections as the "Oh L'Amour Sammich": thinly sliced prosciutto and fresh mozzarella topped with tomatoes and basil on peasant bread. more ›

Named such because 99 is the maximum number of weeks for unemployment payouts in the states with the highest unemployment rates, job hunting "99ers" will take to the streets outside Federal Hall on Thursday to demand that Congress broaden unemployment benefits to include them. New York was among the states with the highest unemployment rates until last month, when it dropped to 9.3%, which cuts off unemployment payouts after 93 weeks. The city's unemployment rate is still 9.5%, high enough to justify 99 weeks worth of payments. more ›

Yesterday, President Obama signed the bill that restores unemployment benefits to people who have been unemployed for six months or more. He criticized delays in the bill's passage (the House voted 272-152, mostly on party lines) due to disagreements on other economic stimulus ideas, "Americans who are working day and night to get back on their feet and support their families in these tough economic times deserve more than obstruction and partisan game-playing." more ›

Four former employees of Parking and Security Services Inc. were hit with 23 counts of grand larceny and identity theft after being caught falsely collecting over $95,000 in unemployment benefits. The company, which handled parking for movie shoots like Rent and The Taking of Pelham 123, used the cash to undercut competitors. However, they were discovered when those whose identities were stolen attempted to claim unemployment, and were told the money had already been collected. more ›

Yesterday, Senator Jim Bunning (R-Kentucky) blocked the $10 billion Senate bill that would have granted an emergency extension to unemployment benefits across the country. Politico reports that Bunning's move "has united Democrats and sent Republicans hiding from the political backlash." Senator Charles Schumer chided Bunning, "I've gone around the state and met with New Yorkers who had the same jobs for years and years, but lost it and can't find work no matter how hard they look. It is unfair and almost inhumane to cut these fine people off from their benefits." more ›

Yesterday, the Senate passed a bill extending unemployment benefits 98-0. The House is expected to approve the bill and the President Obama is also expected to sign it. NY State, which has already extended unemployment benefits to 79 weeks for the longterm unemployed, would get another 20 weeks because its unemployment rate is higher than 8.5% (it was 8.9% in September; the NYC rate is 10.3%). The NY State Labor Dept.'s Twitter has been keeping followers apprised of the bill's progress. more ›

While there was talk last week of the Senate passing an unemployment benefits extension for another 22 weeks, the Senate was unable to quickly approve the measure—which means that some New Yorkers will be hit hard. The NY Times reports, "That lapse will leave about 37,000 residents of the state...without benefits this week, and will force others to contemplate applying for food stamps or other forms of welfare that they had never considered." more ›

With national unemployment at 9.8%—and NYC unemployment at 10.3%—many have been wondering if (and hoping that) unemployment benefits will be extended. Now it's reported that the Senate has reached a deal to continue benefits for another 13 weeks. more ›

Sigh. As unemployment benefits will be drying up by the end of the year, we get this news: Eleven NY State prisoners managed to collect $30,000 in unemployment insurance. State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli announced that after an audit, the payments were discovered and his office was able to stop another $18,000 to the "unemployed" inmates. The Daily News reports, "In some cases, inmates were using the names and Social Security numbers of people on the outside to get benefits." DiNapoli states the obvious, "Convicted criminals should not be collecting unemployment benefits when they are in jail. Taxpayers shouldn’t be footing the bill for this kind of outrageous scam. The Department of Labor and the Department of Corrections took immediate action when our audit findings were brought to their attention and are fully cooperating with us to ensure this does not happen again." The investigation is continuing, but DiNapoli suggested the labor and corrections departments work together to make sure there isn't any overlap with inmate and unemployment lists. more ›

David Paterson turns 55 years young today. PolitickerNY gives a rundown of the festivities up in Albany, which including Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith surprising the governor with an exquisite-looking birthday cake. When asked why there were no candles, a Paterson staff member said, "We didn't want to burn down the Red Room." more ›

With the state jobless rate at, by the latest numbers, 7.8% (in NYC, the rate is 8.1%) and prospects of an economic recovery slow at best, the NY Times reports, "Lawmakers in Albany agreed on Tuesday to change the state’s unemployment insurance system in order to prevent more than 100,000 New Yorkers from running out of jobless benefits starting later this month." The State Legislature must vote on the changes which "are intended to make New York eligible to collect $645 million in federal stimulus money for its unemployment insurance system. Most of that money — $370 million — would extend benefits to people who have been collecting unemployment pay for more than a year. The rest would go toward closing a gap in the state’s insolvent unemployment fund." Apparently Albany has given up on trying to revamp the entire system (which gives a max of $430/week in benefits, $150 less than states like NJ and Connecticut) in order to at least get the benefits extension done. more ›

Out of 30 tuna fish sandwiches bound for the trash, 57-year-old Whole Foods employee Ralph Reese set aside one for himself, to be eaten at the end of his shift last November. But an unnamed supervisor at the Union Square supermarket (let's call him Inspector Javert) noticed the sandwich sitting on the deli counter and demanded to know why it wasn't on its way to a landfill. After Reese explained that he intended to eat it, Javert threw it out, and Reese was fired two days later, because, the company claims, he was essentially attempting to steal the sandwich; Whole Foods policy dictates that food cannot consumed by employees without being purchased. more ›

NY State has been borrowing money from the federal government in order to pay the unemployment claims of New Yorkers since the beginning of the year, and now the state will kick in more money for the overall unemployment budget. The NY Times reports, "state lawmakers agreed on Tuesday to authorize paying out an additional $2 billion this year to the unemployed," and explains that the original budget was $3 billion for unemployment benefits but "state officials now estimate those payouts will rise to $4.6 billion as the recession grinds on." Per the latest (December 2008) numbers, the NY State unemployment is now 7%, but it's 7.4% in NYC. More food for thought: The max unemployment NYers can draw is $405/week; in NJ it's $584, in CT it's $576, and in Massachusetts it's $628. more ›

Since January 1st, the state's unemployment fund has been borrowing roughly $90 million a week from the federal unemployment trust fund, and the deficit has already reached $212 million. M. Patricia Smith, the state's labor commissioner, tells the Times, "I think we went insolvent about two hours into 2009. We're seeing 50 percent more claimants each week than a year ago." Soup is good food! The article goes into infuriating detail about how New York has the lowest unemployment benefits in the region, and the deficit is caused not just from the spike in joblessness, but because the state has not increased the payroll tax that covers the unemployment fund in nearly a decade. With Democrats finally controlling the Legislature, there is some hope that the state might finally upgrade the system to cover the downsized masses, but in the meantime, the Fed's charging 4.64% interest, and New York's debt to Uncle Sam is expected to exceed $2.5 billion by the end of 2010. more ›

50,000 New Yorkers are about to face a grim reality in just a few days when their unemployment benefits expire and they no longer can collect weekly checks. Congressional extensions have allowed many to collect far beyond the usual six months those laid off receive. But New Yorkers are missing out on another seven weeks of benefit extensions that other states are receiving because our unemployment rates are actually better than half the nation's. The Times says that this leaves our commissioner of labor, M. Patricia Smith, "in the odd position of rooting for a higher jobless rate." To make matters worse for locals out of work, New Yorkers' weekly unemployment checks max out at $405, over $150 less than those of New Jersey and Connecticut residents. more ›