Many of those people actually avoided looking for a job for fear of losing the unemployment check "entitlement" that was guaranteed for six months.
My MIL did that and it made me sick. In her case, she was able to TAKE ADVANTAGE of 52 weeks. She did absolutely nothing for a full year because she knew the $$$ would stop. Then, when the time was nearing an end, like these people, all of whom KNOW ahead of time, started to panic and ONLY THEN did she start to worry about not having a job.
The longer you give people free money, the longer they will do nothing to try to stand on their own two feet and make any effort to earn their own keep. Yes, they paid into unemployment, but for the majority of them, my MIL included, are fully capable of working, but would rather not as long as someone is sending them a check.
Friday's CNN.com story also made me sick. The featured woman said "well now that my unemployment ends Saturday, I'll just have to get in food stamps." THAT MENTALITY IS EXACTLY WHAT IS WRONG WITH OUR COUNTRY. 4951