Res. No. 336
Resolution requesting that the Congress of the United States and the New York State Legislature renew the Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation (TEUC) program.
By Council Members Seabrook, Barron, Gentile, Gerson, James, Jennings, Lopez, Monserrate, Palma, Perkins and Jackson
Whereas, The Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation (TEUC) program was created in March 2002 to provide additional weeks of federally funded unemployment benefits to unemployed workers who have exhausted their regular, state-funded unemployment benefits, but have still not found a job; and
Whereas, In the past, economic downturns have always been met with extended unemployment benefits which would only be terminated once the labor market recovered; and
Whereas, According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, since late December 2003, when the TEUC program began phasing out, through the end of March 2004, an estimated 1.1 million jobless workers nationwide will have exhausted their unemployment benefits without receiving additional help; and
Whereas, The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities also estimate that in New York State, more than 100,000 people found themselves in this situation during the same time period; and
Whereas, According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, in no other comparable period recorded have there been so many “exhaustees”; and
Whereas, Since the horrific attacks on September 11, 2001, New York City has suffered disproportionately with respect to job loss and sky rocketing unemployment rates; and
Whereas, Resuming the TEUC would be beneficial to both unemployed workers in particular and the economy in general by helping these hard working Americans to continue to support themselves and their families; and
Whereas, According to key findings in a report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, resuming the TEUC could provide assistance to an estimated 2 million Americans by extending benefits for an extra six months and providing extra assistance to workers in high unemployment states, such as New York; and
Whereas, The Center on Policy and Budget Priorities recommends that Congress extend the TEUC and resume the extended benefits until the job market improves; and
Whereas, Such an extension would allow New York State to make such additional benefits available to eligible New Yorkers; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York requests that the Congress of the United States and the New York State Legislature renew the Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation (TEUC) program.
LS# 643
JP
4/23/04