By Madhuri Dey
Washington, Mar 11, (THAINDIAN NEWS) The jobless claims bill was passed by the Senate on Wednesday at a majority of 62-36, in an effort to counter the no more growing, but stagnant unemployment scenario of the United States. However, it has been stated that the bill would not go far into creating new jobs. Instead, it is actually an attempt to push back the deadline of the unemployment insurance. The bill would actually give people an extended time to file or unemployment insurance claims, and would also be reinforcing tax breaks that have expired.

After being passed in the Senate, the jobless claims bill is scheduled to go to the House, where it will have to go through a rigorous routine before it is, if at all, passed. The bill outlines some tax credits that would be directed not only at businesses, but also at individuals. It includes a provision for emergency benefits, something that is going to be funded by $70 billion. Besides this, the bill also includes funds worth $25 billion in order to bail out state governments that have been hit particularly hard by the recession, in order to help them meet their budget deficit and get back on their feet.

The jobless claims bill, according to the Senators, is one of the first measures taken by the government to meet the demands of the economy in the United States, an economy that is gradually recovering from the major setback, but is still far from growing. Besides assistance to the unemployed, the bill also aims at extending flood insurance, pension plans and providing additional help to farmers in times of agricultural problems.