Title: Unemployment Benefit Extensions
Headings: 
Unemployment Benefits Extensions
Compare 2021 Extensions to Prior Years
2020 Unemployment Extension
Unemployment Extensions Prior to 2020
2013 Extension
2012 Extension
2010 Extension
2009 Extension
Disadvantages of Extended Unemployment Benefits
Advantages of Extended Unemployment Benefits
Article Sources

Content: 9 ﻿
November 2009: As the unemployment rate climbed to 10%, unemployment benefits were extended for another 14 weeks. There were 15.4 million people unemployed. 10 ﻿ This was down just 300,000 from the all-time high of 15.7 million the previous month. 11 ﻿ States with unemployment rates at 8.5% or higher received an additional six weeks of benefits. 7 ﻿
Disadvantages of Extended Unemployment Benefits
The downside of unemployment benefits is that paying them can, like any other government spending, increase budget deficits and add to the government debt. How can this hurt the economy? As debt approaches 100% of total output for the year, investors become worried that the government can't pay back its debt. Demand falls for U.S. Treasury bonds, which are used to finance government spending. This makes interest rates rise, increasing the cost of borrowing for everyone.