Bracing for life without unemployment checks

Without an extension thousands in the Philadelphia region will soon lose unemployment benefits.  Some local groups are preparing to help.

The Philadelphia Workforce Investment Board is busy re-training people to help land available jobs.  Eric Nelson, head of the group, says without a federal unemployment extension, many people’s benefits will run out soon.

“Eighteen thousand between now and the end of December and in the first quarter of next year, we are going to see an increase between 30 and 40,000 individuals whose benefits will end,” said Nelson.

One of those people is Helen Durkson, who has been unemployed over a year.  She’s gone back to school to change from handling paper medical records to electronic ones.

“I’m scared because I’ve been to a lot of job interviews and mostly the people I talk to are just taking resumes and they are saying they really don’t have an opening,” said Durkson.

She added she’s hopeful federal officials will grant another unemployment extension but for now she and other continue their job search.