美国数百万人失业保险将到期_时事_双语阅读-查字典英语网

美国数百万人失业保险将到期

Already this year, hundreds of thousands of people have exhausted their jobless benefits. Now, virtually everyone left in the federal programs would lose their benefits if the programs expire as scheduled at year-end.

今年以来已经有数十万失业者不能再享受失业保险。眼下，如果联邦失业保险项目按计划在年底到期而不予延期，实际上所有仍在享受联邦项目的失业者都将失去失业保险。

Congress has repeatedly extended unemployment benefits amid high joblessness, and it could do so again. But the programs have gotten caught up in the fight over the 'fiscal cliff,' a package of tax increases and spending cuts due to take effect early next year. Some Democrats are pushing to extend benefits again, but the programs must contend not only with Republican opposition but also competing priorities such as business and individual tax breaks.

由于美国失业率较高，国会一再延长失业福利，它可能会再次这样做。不过美国的失业保险计划卷入了围绕“财政悬崖的论战中。“财政悬崖指的是将于明年初生效的一揽子增税及减支措施。一些民主党议员正在力推再次延长失业福利，但失业保险项目不仅必须克服共和党的反对，还必须与企业及个人减税计划等重要问题竞争优先次序。

For more than a year, unemployment benefits have been contracting. At the peak of the jobs crisis, workers in many states were eligible for up to 99 weeks of unemployment benefits. Today, New York offers the longest-lasting benefits, at 83 weeks, and other states -- including those with double-digit unemployment rates such as Nevada and California -- offer 73 weeks at most. In a handful of states, benefits now expire after less than a year.