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Virginia Unemployment extension?

My husband was laid off 6 months ago. He is going to come to the end of his unemployment at the end of this month. He has been searching ans searching for a job, but there just aren't any to be had! The big factories around us are closing, one that closed this past week let go of 11,000 people. So, there are TONS of people in our area looking for work right now. The employment commission actually sent him a letter that stated he didn't have to have 2 jobs he had applied for a week to get paid...he only had to do one because there just are not any places to apply! I was told that he needs to just keep filing every week as normal, and when approved for the extension he would get all the weeks he had missed at one time. My question is, how long does it usually take to get approved for the extension? Any one in Virginia know the answer? With Christmas coming up...this is going to be a BIG issue with our children. My children are 2 year old twins...I doubt highly that they understand the concept of "the bigger picture". They just know they didn't get any presents it is most certainly true that there aren't any places hireing in our area. I don't know where you were in Virginia, but we live in South Eastern Virginia near Franklin. It's a very rural area, and International Paper is closing and Lowe's...leaving thousands without jobs.

Public Comments

1. This is only a BIG issue with your children (about Christmas) if you let it be. Insulating your children from the reality that Christmas isn't about things but the people you love isn't helping at all. If they had to get absolutely no gifts this Xmas but have a house over their heads, heat on, electricity working, and food to eat despite your husband not working for 6 full months, there is much the children can and should be thankful for. Stop putting stress on yourself to live up to society's expectations of what Xmas should be about. This is an excellent time to teach your children that Xmas isn't about toys and electronics but is about love. And finally, it sounds like the money you get from the unemployment extension could be better spent relocating to somewhere else where jobs are more abundant. Investing in toys maybe not in your family's long-term interests.
2. do not count on that extension being approved....not hiring...not true... i was in va last weekend and noticed 4 or 5 stores hiring...home depot/cvs/two supermarkets... sounds as if he is headed toward minimum wage...