Even though Maine’s official unemployment rate is the lowest since the recession, there are still thousands of Mainers who are out of work. Many are so-called "discouraged" workers who are not reflected in the 5.5 percent unemployment rate. In fact, the rate would jump to 6.6 percent if they were factored in.
And that’s one reason Maine’s congressional delegation is supporting efforts to extend unemployment benefits to those that have exhausted the 26 weeks of regular benefits.
Extended unemployment benefits, paid for by the federal government, ended in December. Attempts to convince Congress to extend those benefits have thus far failed. Republican Sen. Susan Collins sought to pass such a measure earlier this year, but it fell short in the House. "With each passing month, more and more individuals have their benefits run out. The economy is still quite fragile," she says.
Collins says the latest bill in the Senate is bipartisan and would extend benefits for five months. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, a Democrat representing the 1st District, says she also supports extending benefits, but says it will be difficult to get the House to consider an extension of any length.
"I am pleased that the Senate is working on a bipartisan bill, and I think it’s really a critical issue here in Maine," Pingree says. "I wish it went further, but five months would make a big difference for the 12,000 people in Maine who had their benefits expire six months ago. And until the jobs are out there, it’s important that we support people through this critical time."
Second District Congressman Mike Michaud, a Democrat, says, while the economy has improved, there are still places in Maine where unemployment is high, and where some people have been out of work for a long time.
"Those people are struggling, and in such a rural state like Maine, particularly in the 2nd Congressional District, when you have a lot of areas where the economy has not improved, those people are hurting," Michaud says. "I just had a call today from someone I worked with in the mill, unemployment is running out and he still hasn’t been able to find a job."
But Michaud doubts that the House Republican leadership will allow a vote on the Senate bill. Independent Sen. Angus King says that may be because GOP leaders know that it actually has a chance in the House.
"My strong suspicion is that if it came to the floor it would pass, that there would be a majority between the Democrats and enough Republicans to give it a majority passage," King says. "But that, at least thus far, the speaker has not brought it up."
King says that, unlike past proposals to extend unemployment benefits, the latest version is paid for by changes in tax provisions that fully fund its $9 billion cost, and therefore does not add to the federal deficit. "Congress has selective amnesia on things, some things don’t need to be funded, other things you need to fund every nickel of,” he says. And King says every nickel of this bill is paid for.
But Congress has more to do, says King, than simply prolonging benefits. Collins agrees. "I think our focus really ought to be on getting people back to work," she says.
King says Congress has continued tax provisions that would help businesses invest in job creation, and says the House and Senate have also passed legislation that would better focus federal job training monies on areas where there are job vacancies. But all agree more must be done to get frustrated Mainers back to work.
