Last week the Department of Labor reported job growth of 200,000 for December 2011. While this represents a positive direction, the number of unemployed remains at 13.1 million (8.5%), which is 6 million fewer employed than at the start of the recession in December 2007. The job market has a long way to go to reach full recovery.
Absent from the official unemployment figures are the numbers of people who cannot find full-time work (8.1 million) or who stopped looking for work (2.5 million). When including those groups, the broader "underemployment" rate was much higher: 15.2 percent. This fuller picture should be included when weighing public policy decisions pertaining to poverty, hunger, homelessness and other economic impacts facing the unemployed, underemployed, and their dependents.
Most notable, the number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) was little changed at 5.6 million and accounted for 42.5 percent of the unemployed. These individuals are particularly at risk of economic hardships.
(Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics at: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm)
Absent from the official unemployment figures are the numbers of people who cannot find full-time work (8.1 million) or who stopped looking for work (2.5 million). When including those groups, the broader "underemployment" rate was much higher: 15.2 percent. This fuller picture should be included when weighing public policy decisions pertaining to poverty, hunger, homelessness and other economic impacts facing the unemployed, underemployed, and their dependents.
Most notable, the number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) was little changed at 5.6 million and accounted for 42.5 percent of the unemployed. These individuals are particularly at risk of economic hardships.
(Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics at: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm)
Following talks with the German government, the Claims Conference has announced three changes to the Hardship Fund that will enable thousands of Jewish Holocaust victims to receive one-time payments. All changes are effective as of January 1, 2012.
Flight from Non-Occupied Areas
Hardship Fund payments will now be made to certain Jews who fled ahead of the advancing Nazi army from some areas of the Soviet Union that were not subsequently occupied by the Nazis.
In recent negotiations, the German government has agreed to include these Jewish victims in the Claims Conference Hardship Fund, provided they meet the program’s other eligibility criteria. The program issues a one-time payment of €2,556.
Applicants may now be eligible for a payment from the Hardship Fund if they fled between June 22, 1941 and January 27, 1944 from areas of the Soviet Union that were generally up to 100 kilometers from the most easterly advance of the German army but were not later occupied by the Nazis.
Those eligible will include Jews who fled from Moscow and Stalingrad. Eligible victims will also include those who fled from Leningrad after June 22, 1941 but before the siege of that city commenced in September 1941.
This agreement will lead to payments to Jewish victims of Nazism from the former Soviet Union now living in Israel, the United States, Germany and other Western countries. It is the first time that the experiences of these Jews who fled for their lives been recognized by Germany. These payments are not currently available to Nazi victims living in former Soviet bloc countries.
Western Persecutees
As of January 1, 2012, Hardship Fund payments may be made to eligible applicants who were citizens of certain Western European countries at the time of Nazi persecution and also at the time of that country’s Global Agreement with Germany, who have not received any previous payment from a German source which include payments under the Global Agreements. “Western Persecutees” who think they may be eligible and have not already applied to the Hardship Fund should file an application. To receive a payment, applicants must also meet the other criteria of the Hardship Fund.
Orphans
As of January 1, 2012, eligible for a one-time payment of €1,900 may be those living in former Soviet bloc countries who were born 1928 or later and were orphaned due to Nazi persecution. To be eligible, applicants may not have received any previous compensation from a German source and must meet the same criteria as that of the Hardship Fund.
Background: Hardship Fund
The Hardship Fund, established in 1980 after five years of Claims Conference negotiations, provides a one-time payment of €2,556 to certain Jewish victims of Nazism, including many from former Soviet bloc countries who emigrated to the West after 1969, which was the application deadline for the West German Indemnification Laws (BEG).
You can find the full criteria, and applications, for the Hardship Fund on the Claims Conference website.
Applications and information are also available by contacting the Claims Conference offices in New York, Tel Aviv or Frankfurt.
Hardship Fund Changes Widen One-Time Payment Criteria for Holocaust Victims, December 28, 2011, by eJP
Flight from Non-Occupied Areas
Hardship Fund payments will now be made to certain Jews who fled ahead of the advancing Nazi army from some areas of the Soviet Union that were not subsequently occupied by the Nazis.
In recent negotiations, the German government has agreed to include these Jewish victims in the Claims Conference Hardship Fund, provided they meet the program’s other eligibility criteria. The program issues a one-time payment of €2,556.
Applicants may now be eligible for a payment from the Hardship Fund if they fled between June 22, 1941 and January 27, 1944 from areas of the Soviet Union that were generally up to 100 kilometers from the most easterly advance of the German army but were not later occupied by the Nazis.
Those eligible will include Jews who fled from Moscow and Stalingrad. Eligible victims will also include those who fled from Leningrad after June 22, 1941 but before the siege of that city commenced in September 1941.
This agreement will lead to payments to Jewish victims of Nazism from the former Soviet Union now living in Israel, the United States, Germany and other Western countries. It is the first time that the experiences of these Jews who fled for their lives been recognized by Germany. These payments are not currently available to Nazi victims living in former Soviet bloc countries.
Western Persecutees
As of January 1, 2012, Hardship Fund payments may be made to eligible applicants who were citizens of certain Western European countries at the time of Nazi persecution and also at the time of that country’s Global Agreement with Germany, who have not received any previous payment from a German source which include payments under the Global Agreements. “Western Persecutees” who think they may be eligible and have not already applied to the Hardship Fund should file an application. To receive a payment, applicants must also meet the other criteria of the Hardship Fund.
Orphans
As of January 1, 2012, eligible for a one-time payment of €1,900 may be those living in former Soviet bloc countries who were born 1928 or later and were orphaned due to Nazi persecution. To be eligible, applicants may not have received any previous compensation from a German source and must meet the same criteria as that of the Hardship Fund.
Background: Hardship Fund
The Hardship Fund, established in 1980 after five years of Claims Conference negotiations, provides a one-time payment of €2,556 to certain Jewish victims of Nazism, including many from former Soviet bloc countries who emigrated to the West after 1969, which was the application deadline for the West German Indemnification Laws (BEG).
You can find the full criteria, and applications, for the Hardship Fund on the Claims Conference website.
Applications and information are also available by contacting the Claims Conference offices in New York, Tel Aviv or Frankfurt.
Hardship Fund Changes Widen One-Time Payment Criteria for Holocaust Victims, December 28, 2011, by eJP
Reflections on How Families in America Are Faring at the Close of 2011 and Where We As A Sector Should be Heading in 2012
As a sector, we seek to ensure that the people and communities we serve have the opportunities and resources they need to thrive.
Yet, currently, millions of Americans - the people we serve - are struggling just to make ends meet. Over 46 million people - that's 1 in 6 - in America face poverty every day. 1 in 4 people in America can't afford to pay for healthy foods. And more than 50 million people are living without health insurance.
For this reason, the National Human Services Assembly, of which AJFCA is a member, and specifically, the National Collaboration for Families - feels that as the year draws to a close and we begin to look towards 2012, we need to reflect on how families in America are faring in the continued wake of the Great Recession and what path forward we ought to be charting in the new year.
In this spirit, over the next two weeks, NHSA will be releasing a special series of e-publications looking at the current state of America's families and what the organizations in our network can do together to leverage our collective voice and strength to turn this moment of crisis into a time of opportunity. To read more about turning crisis into opportunity, click here.
As a sector, we seek to ensure that the people and communities we serve have the opportunities and resources they need to thrive.
Yet, currently, millions of Americans - the people we serve - are struggling just to make ends meet. Over 46 million people - that's 1 in 6 - in America face poverty every day. 1 in 4 people in America can't afford to pay for healthy foods. And more than 50 million people are living without health insurance.
For this reason, the National Human Services Assembly, of which AJFCA is a member, and specifically, the National Collaboration for Families - feels that as the year draws to a close and we begin to look towards 2012, we need to reflect on how families in America are faring in the continued wake of the Great Recession and what path forward we ought to be charting in the new year.
In this spirit, over the next two weeks, NHSA will be releasing a special series of e-publications looking at the current state of America's families and what the organizations in our network can do together to leverage our collective voice and strength to turn this moment of crisis into a time of opportunity. To read more about turning crisis into opportunity, click here.
