Last Tuesday, President Barack Obama has signed a $10 billion measure that will extend the unemployment insurance benefits for Valley residents for five consecutive weeks. According to Steve Meissner, director of communications for the Department of Economic Security, the extension in benefits has become very crucial as many Arizonans have been unable to find work for many months now.

“If you’re out of work for six months … you’ve burned through most, if not all, of your savings, you’ve run up your credit card balances trying to keep things afloat and you might already have hit up your relatives. So you’re tapped out,” Meissner said. “At this time, the federal program really starts to affect you. That money becomes really important. It could be the difference between food and cat food, or having a roof over your head or living in your car.”

Meissner further explains that the extension is only for the next 30 days. This is already the second extension of federal benefits this year, he said.

Based on statistics, the number of Arizonans receiving unemployment insurance benefits varies week to week, but in general the weekly average has jumped from 25,000 to 30,000 in December 2008 to 173,000 per week now.

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