Across US, jobless losing benefits
Proposals that would extend aid spark debate

By Susan Milligan, Globe Staff, 12/21/2003

WASHINGTON -- More than 90,000 people who have been out of work for months will lose their federal benefits today, when a program to aid the long-term unemployed expires.

During the first six months of next year, more than 2 million unemployed people across the country will be cut off from the extra assistance, unless Congress acts. In Massachusetts, 2,500 workers a week will lose their benefits, according to government statistics studied by a congressional committee and several economic analysis groups.

"It's a really diverse group of people who are running out of benefits -- higher-income, dot-commers, lower-wage workers, and manufacturing employees. It's people from every industry, from all states," said Maurice Emsellem, public policy director for the National Employment Law Project. "Whatever's going on with the economy, it's not translating into significant job growth."

In January, nearly 400,000 workers, including 12,201 in Massachusetts, are expected to exhaust their state benefits, according to Labor Department data analyzed by the Joint Economic Committee of Congress. More than 2.1 million people nationwide -- including 61,751 in the Bay State -- will see their state unemployment benefits end in the first six months of next year.