Sorry OP....I know we are far from your original question and I hope you have checked to see if you can collect.
I have been away from the computer for a few days and just cannot believe the statements you are making, CowboyCO.
If you are honestly trying to hire someone without a college degree for $2500 a month plus benefits, and cannot find anyone, there is something else going on with the job or your company. That would mean a person would have to be collecting about $577 a week in employment to be at that salary....do any states even pay that much in unemployment?????
Several times you have referenced a time when you were unemployed, but found some crappy job, such as selling cars. If I might ask, when were you unemployed? Was it during the current recession...because if not, I don't think you can make a fair comparison. Do you understand that there are not even "crappy" jobs for people to take? Do you understand that for every job opening there are multitudes of candidates that apply...and you never even hear a word if you don't get an interview?
Do you understand that people on unemployment do not receive other government services, such as food stamps? There may be some exceptions, but the majority of people get unemployment only. Once you take away the unemployment from people and they still cannot get a job, that is when they will need to get state and federal aid from other programs.
I can't really figure out whether you truly have no clue what is going on in this country, are ignorant of facts and just state what you believe as though it is a fact, or are just trying to stir things up.
I can't read this thread anymore...you are making my blood pressure go up.
As an example...We are getting a new Publix grocery store. They will need less than 200 people yet they had 1,500 applications!