Extend unemployment for those who lost jobs after June 2012

People who got laid off in 2008-2011 got 99 weeks of unemployment due to the Federal unemployment assistance program. However, all of these extensions expire as of Jan 2 - so those who got laid off after June in 2012 only get the regular 26 weeks of unemployment.

The unemployment rate is higher than it was in 2008-2010, and it is next to impossible to find work comparable to positions we were laid off from in 6 months.

According to the NJ Governors office, all of these who got laid off in 2012, PLUS all of the 99 weekers will be hitting the welfare rolls come January if unemployment is not extended, which would be disastrous to the economy.

Those who don't choose to seek welfare (such as myself) will be forced to work 60-80 hours a week at multiple minimum wage jobs, which will most likely NOT meet our living expenses, and not leave much time for looking for a full-time position that will.

This petition is asking for a Tier 1 26-week extension for those who were laid off in 2012. We are not asking for 99 weeks, we are just asking for at least another 6 months to give us more of a chance to find a job that would at least come closer to meeting our living expenses than having to rush out and work at a minimum wage service job(s). Many of us have been working for years and thus have paid into the state unemployment system - we are not looking for handouts, just a fair shot at looking for QUALITY work like the 99-weekers have gotten!