I misplaced my job when the U.S. housing market collapsed in 2008 and unemployment soared, pushing owners into foreclosures and the nation into disaster.
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For the primary time in my life, I filed for unemployment advantages, which might maintain me afloat for 9 lengthy months. A bachelor’s diploma didn’t insulate me from monetary misery nor assist me discover a job, and on a regular basis, waves of fear dominated my ideas and tormented me late at evening.
Reduction washed over me when my unemployment advantages kicked in and I started receiving about $300 every week. I may purchase meals, I may maintain my utilities on — however not a lot else.
I utilized for jobs I used to be certified to do, jobs I wasn’t certified for and far decrease paying jobs. I simply wished a job and an finish to anxiety-filled days and nights as I watched my unemployment funds shrink and my debt rise.
Throughout Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ 2022 Situation of the State deal with in January, she stated: “There are such a lot of causes for the employee scarcity, however we have to acknowledge in some instances, it’s as a result of the federal government has taken away the necessity or need to work. The protection web has change into a hammock.”
Reynolds and the Republican-controlled legislature this session slashed unemployment. Some Democrats decried the cuts as a way to handle Iowa’s so-called employee scarcity and as a method to push Iowans again to work after the coronavirus pandemic caused enterprise closures and cutbacks and revealed youngster care crises and lots of different issues that affected workers’ means to work.
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The Iowa Home and Senate authorized Iowa H.F. 2355, a invoice to reform unemployment, however legislators have disagreed on whether or not to institute a one-week ready interval earlier than Iowans may start gathering advantages. The invoice, which comprises the next provisions, amongst others, is on Reynolds’ desk for approval (unsigned as of print time).
Making a one-week ready interval earlier than advantages start
Decreasing weekly advantages from 26 weeks to 16 weeks
Decreasing the utmost profit payable from 39 weeks to 26 weeks for people whose employers have gone out of enterprise
Requiring Iowans receiving unemployment advantages to simply accept “appropriate” lower-paying jobs earlier of their job searches
Reynolds final Can also prevented Iowans from receiving the additional $300 every week from federal unemployment pandemic funds earlier than this system was slated to finish.
The phrase hammock implies laziness. I doubt many Iowa households would select just a few hundred {dollars} of unemployment — a pittance — over regular jobs to care for his or her households. However wait. In keeping with Reynolds and Republicans, it’s OK for Iowans who refuse the COVID-19 vaccine to get unemployment advantages. I assume it’s OK for anti-vaxxers to lie of their hammocks all day and benefit from the social security web.
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Reducing advantages hurts the already weak. In keeping with a Brookings Establishment explainer, unemployment has solely usually changed about 40 % of misplaced wages on common throughout the previous 20 years. Hardly sufficient to keep away from going to work indefinitely.
As to be anticipated, Blacks make-up a higher share of those that are unemployed. In keeping with the latest federal employment knowledge, the unemployment fee for Blacks is constantly double that of whites — and far greater for sure subgroups, in keeping with financial analysis and federal unemployment knowledge.
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The U.S. unemployment fee is 3.8%. The U.S. Black unemployment fee is 6.9%. Iowa’s unemployment fee is 3.5%. Iowa’s Black unemployment fee is 6.2%.
Black males, particularly, face the next unemployment fee attributable to systemic racism and different elements, in keeping with the Heart for American Progress. Throughout the top of the pandemic, the unemployment fee for Black males soared to 16 % in 2020. In 2021, the everyday size of unemployment was 16.1 weeks for white males, however 20.1 weeks for Black males, in keeping with the group, which researches and develops progressive insurance policies to facilitate nationwide change.
For a person or household receiving unemployment, every week with out pay issues.
“But this financial restoration is revealing the impacts of continuous systemic racism, ageism, and ableism on the labor market,” in keeping with middle authors of Black Males and the U.S. Economic system: How the Financial Restoration Is Perpetuating Systemic Racism.
Just like the 2008 actual property market crash I lived by way of, the coronavirus pandemic hit employers and workers exhausting. It helped realizing I may entry monetary sources to stay afloat till circumstances improved. After 9 months of receiving advantages, I discovered work, sarcastically sufficient, at a mortgage firm serving to owners apply for mortgage modifications to forestall foreclosures. My first paycheck hit at practically the identical time my remaining unemployment cost was posted.
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Unemployment compensation served as a welcome security web throughout these tumultuous occasions. Not a hammock.
This text was initially printed in Little Village Central Iowa concern 002.
IOWA CITY — Iowa football has scheduled a game with Albany in 2025 while moving its scheduled game with Florida Atlantic from 2025 to 2030, the team announced Monday in a news release.
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The Albany game will be on Aug. 30. Iowa then has games against Iowa State on Sept. 6 and UMass on Sept. 13. Dates for the 2025 Big Ten schedule will be announced later this fall, according to the release.
The rest of Iowa’s future nonconference schedules are below:
2026: Northern Illinois (Sept. 5), Iowa State (Sept. 12), UNI (Sept. 19)
2027: Ball State (Sept. 4), at Iowa State (Sept. 11)
2028: Western Michigan (Sept. 16)
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2029: Northern Illinois (Sept. 15)
2030: Florida Atlantic (Aug. 31)
Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com
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Even though the season is over for Iowa Hawkeyes legend Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever, there is a lot to be excited about moving forward.
Clark and the Fever ended up being swept out of the first round of the WNBA Playoffs by the Connecticut Sun. It was a disappointing end to what had been a magical season for the team.
Despite being bumped out of the postseason, Indiana looks like a team to watch in the near future.
Tamika Catchings, a former superstar with the Fever and one of the all-time greats in the WNBA, did not hold back when talking about Clark. She believes that the former Iowa superstar has legitimate WNBA MVP potential.
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“Coming in and the impact that she had on our team, you look at the MVP, and you look at the impact they’ve had on their teams. From the triple-doubles and her play on the floor, she does have to be in the (MVP) conversation. … I do think if Caitlin continues to grow and keep doing what she’s doing in this league, she’ll continue to be in those talks.”
During her rookie season, Clark just continued getting better. By the end of the year, she was dominating opposing defenses like she did with the Hawkeyes.
When everything was said and done, she averaged 19.2 points per game to go along with 8.4 assists, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.3 steals. Clark shot 41.7 percent from the floor and 34.4 percent from the three-point line.
Those numbers show just a glimpse at what Clark could be capable of long-term.
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Looking into the future, Indiana will have a chance to add more talent around Clark. If they make the right moves, they could be a championship contender in the very near future.
Hopefully, the Fever can put together a strong offseason. Having a franchise cornerstone like Clark certainly helps build a championship team.
Only time will tell, but Clark has lived up to the hype and her potential is through the roof for the future. Fans should expect to see more success next season and an even better version of Clark after a full offseason of work.
Mary Elizabeth Betty Trumm, 89, of Cascade, Iowa passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Saturday, September 28, 2024, at her home in Cascade, Iowa. Visitation for Betty will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. on Monday, September 30, 2024, at the Reiff Funeral Home in Cascade, Iowa,