43K in CT, Some in New Canaan Could Lose Jobless Benefits

About 43,000 people in Connecticut who receive unemployment benefits from the federal government are in danger of losing them if Congress goes over the fiscal cliff.

That's just over a quarter of the number of people receiving jobless benefits in the state.

If Congress does not reauthorize the program, those who receive the federal unemployment benefits—those on top of what the state gives—could lose them by Saturday, Dec. 29, according to a report by Connecticut News Junkie.

Connecticut gives six months of unemployment insurance, and the federal government kicks in money to fund an emergency extension of benefits when the economy is experiencing times of slow job growth, News Junkie reports. It would cost $30 billion to keep the program going nationwide.

The loss of federal money could affect hundreds of people in New Canaan. 

There were 498 New Canaan residents unemployed as of last month, according to the latest statistics from the state Department of Labor. The stats show the unemployment rate in New Canaan at 5.7 percent in November, when there were 8,692 eligible workers living in town, 8,194 of them employed.

Last month, the unemployment rate for Connecticut (seasonally adjusted) was 8.8 percent, or 166,600 workers; the national unemployment rate was 7.7 percent (also, seasonally adjusted). 

The unemployment benefit loss is one of the major ways in which Connecticut would be affected if Congress goes over the fiscal cliff. President Obama is currently working with members of Congress in an attempt to find a solution.

Read the complete CT News Junkie article.

Patch Editor David Gurliacci contributed to this article.