[Molitor5901]

No one is quitting their job to just be on unemployment.

I can understand someone who is unemployed and actively searching for a professional job to believe that, but I think that looks at the issue from a privileged position. No one is quitting their professional offices jobs just to be on unemployment, but I don't think the same can be said of lower income sh*t jobs.

Such a declarative statement of "no one" cannot be accurate because there is probably someone doing just that. Working a low wage job - maybe day labor - just long enough to qualify for benefits, then quitting and coasting until they have to work again.

It's possible, so how do you prevent it?

[ketchupdebugger]

Low wage jobs only net you $40 a week. Thats $160 a month. Even if you pay no income tax, try living on $160 a month in any where America. Thats barely enough to pay for groceries for a single person for a month.

[vel0city]

$40 a week? A full day at federal minimum wage is $58/day. FICA on that would be $8.87. That's $49/day. $49 * 7 > $40.

Even if you cut that in half that's still way more than $40/week.

And no, you're not paying federal income taxes on that low wage income.

[ketchupdebugger]

40 a week on unemployment for low wage in CA

[vel0city]

Ah ok you're saying UI after a low wage job is $40/wk. Understood.

[Molitor5901]

There's also the benefit of food stamps, and housing assistance at that income level. Actual fraud may be rare. I cannot find a good study on fraud in benefits, but I don't think that detracts that safeguards should be put in place.

[fragmede]

Food banks and SNAP/EBT and dumpster diving and community living. It's a lower standard of living in some ways, for sure, but you don't have to go to work and get to do art all day long. What's that worth to you?