首页
登录
职称英语
Compared with the systems in other industrialized countries, the American un
Compared with the systems in other industrialized countries, the American un
游客
2024-11-18
34
管理
问题
Compared with the systems in other industrialized countries, the American unemployment-insurance (UI) scheme pays lower benefits for less time and to a smaller share of the unemployed. In expansions this encourages the jobless to return quickly to work—and unemployed Americans do indeed work harder at finding jobs than their European counterparts (see chart). But in recessions, when there is less work to return to, it causes hardship. Like America’s training system, UI is ripe for attention from the incoming Obama administration.
Like much of the social safety net, the current UI system was a product of Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal. States were prodded to provide benefits in accordance with federal guidelines; in return the federal government paid their administrative costs. But the system has not kept up with changes in America’s labor force.
States often require beneficiaries to have worked or earned an amount that disqualifies many part-time and low-wage workers. They also disqualify people seeking only part-time work—even though many people now work part-time for family reasons. Benefits typically last for only six months, more than enough time to find a new job in normal times but not in recessions. Extended benefits kick in automatically when unemployment reaches certain thresholds, but those thresholds are so high that they are almost never triggered.
Congress therefore has to pass special legislation to extend benefits, as it did twice last year, but political wrangling often delays such action. In the week that ended on December 20th, 586,000 workers filed a first claim for unemployment benefits, the largest number for 26 years. Yet such claimants are, in one sense, lucky, typically, 60% of unemployed people don’t qualify for the benefits at all.
Unemployment insurance is one of the economy’s most important automatic stabilisers, helping to maintain household purchasing power when the economy weakens. But that role is impaired by the short duration of benefits and their skimpy level. At just under $300, the average weekly benefit is less than half the average private-sector wage. Mississippi’s maximum benefit of $230 is not much more than the federal poverty threshold of $200 for an individual. Benefits are low, in part, because they are financed by payroll taxes that states levy on their employers. States don’t like to raise such taxes, even when times are good. But that means they lack the funds to pay benefits when times are bad, forcing them to raise other taxes or borrow from the federal government, as some 30 states are now considering.
One of the best features of America’s system is "experience rating": employers that frequently lay workers off must pay higher payroll taxes, thereby discouraging such lay-offs. But according to Alan Krueger of Princeton, many states have neutered that feature by charging most employers the lowest tax rate.
Several moves are afoot to mend the flaws in the UI system. Under a bill put forward by Jim McDermott, a congressman from Seattle, the government would offer cash incentives to states to expand eligibility to part-time workers and make the benefit formula more generous. A second bill would significantly expand eligibility for the 46-year old Trade Adjustment Assistance programme, for example by including service-sector workers and providing more generous benefits. Both measures passed the House of Representatives but stalled in the Senate. As a senator, Barack Obama backed both. As president, he might make them reality. [br] Which of the following has NOT been proposed to mend the UI system?
选项
A、To encourage more jobless to return to work.
B、To increase the amount of benefits in the system.
C、To extend the range of beneficiaries to more sectors.
D、To lower the thresholds by which part-time workers are included in the system.
答案
A
解析
细节题。本题考查的信息在最后一段,作者提到政府正在对现行的失业保障体系进行商讨,提出相应的议案,议案里的具体措施有:“expand eligibility to part-time workers”,“make the benefit formula more generous”和“including service-workers”。[B]是对第二个具体措施的同义转述;[C]表达了第三个具体措施的含义;[D]“降低进入保障体系的门槛”,与“expand eligibility”是同样的意思。[A]是说鼓励更多的失业者再就业,原文是在说明现行的失业保障体系的作用时提到这一内容的,但它不是政府商讨的议案内容,故答案为[A]。
转载请注明原文地址:https://tihaiku.com/zcyy/3851384.html
相关试题推荐
PassageThree[br]WhatdidAmericanfarmersworryabout?Therewouldbenomarke
Comparedwiththesystemsinotherindustrializedcountries,theAmericanun
Comparedwiththesystemsinotherindustrializedcountries,theAmericanun
Comparedwiththesystemsinotherindustrializedcountries,theAmericanun
PassageThree[br]WhendidtheAmericans’conceptaboutfailureconvert?Bythe
Thosesettingmigrationpolicyinrichcountriesfaceanalmostimpossiblet
Thosesettingmigrationpolicyinrichcountriesfaceanalmostimpossiblet
Americansarestillchucklingaboutthe"pantssuit".Aman—ajudge,noless
Startinginthemid-1990s,majorAmericancitiesbeganaradicaltransforma
Startinginthemid-1990s,majorAmericancitiesbeganaradicaltransforma
随机试题
LadyGaga’snewalbum______tonumberoneintheUKOfficialChart.A、hoistedB、
Whatmakesagoodmanager?Thereisn’tmagicformulaforgoodmanagement,of
Whenyouvacatetheroom,youshould______thedoorkeytome.A、handinB、hando
InBritain,peoplehavedifferentattitu
以下哪些是水库淹没影响处理范围?( )A.工程引水导致河段减水,流成生产生活引
甲公司主要生产A产品,市场占有率很高,不存在滞销问题,目前的销售价格为100元/
下列关于最高限价的表述错误的是()。A.采用最高限价的目标是保护消费者利益或降低
十二正经循行中阴经与阳经的交接部位是A.手指端 B.胸腹中 C.头面部 D
某公司从客户名录中随机抽取600个客户进行满意度和忠诚度调查,为了验证客户总体中
注册会计师在进行审计时遇到了以下的情况,其中,注册会计师不会增加强调事项段的有(
最新回复
(
0
)