Last week, Senate Republicans killed the “Buffett Rule,” which would have made sure that the wealthiest pay their fair share in taxes. Today, shockingly, many of the richest Americans pay  lower rates than the middle and working class. The death of the Buffett Rule represents another unconscionable break for the rich — and highlights the [...]

Recently, Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) unveiled the “REAL Unemployment Calculation Act.” If passed, it could provide some much-needed clarity and sophistication to the official government unemployment rate. That rate is generally seen as a bellwether for America’s economic health. But it’s grossly incomplete. It doesn’t provide a full picture of the job market. The REAL [...]

Dear UCubed Leaders: After 52 months of dismaying unemployment reports, the media, most economists and political leaders of both parties want to move on. I really can’t blame them. Nothing they have said or done since December 2007 has worked. So now the most pressing issue for 27.3 million Americans – getting back to work [...]

On Friday, the Labor Department released its new national jobs figures. The unemployment rate is now down to 8.2 percent, the lowest in three years. But hold off on the confetti. That number is misleading. Official unemployment only counts people that don’t have a job and are actively looking for one. If you’re a member [...]

Many states are shortchanging the unemployed by distributing unemployment benefits on debit cards loaded with extraneous fees. Prepaid bank cards provide the jobless easy access to their benefits and can help those without a bank account avoid check cashing fees and the risk of carrying cash. However, Big Banks are stinging too many unemployed Americans [...]

The United States has come a long way in preventing discriminatory hiring practices based on gender and race. Yet, with the Great Recession keeping millions out of work, a new kind of employer discrimination has emerged — bias against the unemployed. Hunting down a job is never easy. For some, it takes up as much [...]

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) has introduced new sweeping legislation to restore the U.S. economy, revitalize the middle class, put unemployed and underemployed Americans back to work and help our nation compete globally. The Rebuild America Act includes a litany of pro-worker measures including a provision to save and create jobs, modernize our nation’s infrastructure, create [...]

AFL-CIO has two great positions open—Website Editor/Manager and Blog Editor—and are looking for extraordinary individuals to fill them. These two positions are critical to making the totally revamped AFL-CIO website and blog as dynamic and effective as possible — and as helpful as possible to our affiliates and all working people. People who are interested [...]

As the Republican primary continues to play out, only one thing has proven as consistent as the electorate’s indifference: the rate of gaffes from the contenders. And more often than not, the verbal slip-ups of Romney and Santorum have revealed just how deeply out-of-touch they are with the nation’s unemployed. A new blunder came last [...]

Several states will begin dropping long-term, unemployment-insurance recipients from their rolls next month. Beginning April 7, 2012, jobless residents living in Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Missouri, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee and Wisconsin will begin to lose their benefits. The federal Extended Benefits program, which grants claimants in states with high unemployment rates an additional 13 [...]