Unemployment, Unemployment Benefits | featured news

In the coming months, as many as 1.5 million jobless Americans will exhaust their unemployment insurance benefits — for some a last bulwark against foreclosure and destitution.

The total number of people on the unemployment insurance rolls has dropped for the first time since early January, while first-time claims for benefits rose slightly.

Latin American workers who have lost their jobs are being offered money to return to their home countries.

Drugstore operator Walgreen will offer free clinic visits to the unemployed and uninsured for the rest of the year, providing tests and routine treatment for minor ailments through its walk-in clinics though patients will still pay for prescriptions.

Ford Motor Co. said Tuesday it is offering a payment protection plan to help reassure consumers who may be putting off buying a new car because of worries about losing their job.

Tens of thousands of out-of-work Californians, slated to exhaust their unemployment benefits next month, could soon get an extra 20 weeks of help, thanks to a compromise bill approved by the state Assembly on Monday. It passed 76 to 0.

Nine states are considering rejecting federal stimulus money meant to extend unemployment benefits.

First, Arthur Santa-Maria called Bank of America to ask how to check the balance of his new unemployment benefits debit card. The bank charged him 50 cents.

Almost 5 million Americans continued to draw jobless benefits late last month, and new requests again exceeded 600,00 as companies lay off scores of workers.

After the initial shock of losing a job wears off, some people get angry and assume their former employer is trying to screw them out severance pay or vacations days.