A Breakdown of The Americans Jobs Act

The Americans Jobs Act was submitted to Congress to help spur the economy and create jobs for millions of Americans but Congress did not approve it. The Americans jobs act has 5 key components: tax cuts to help small businesses grow, rebuilding and modernizing America, help unemployed Americans, tax cuts for employees and families and funding of the act through the long-term deficit reduction plan.

Unemployed
The Act would lower veteran unemployment. A new Returning Heroes Tax Credit up to $5,600 would be available for veterans who have been unemployed at least 6 months. A Wounded Warriors Tax Credit up to $9,600 would increase the tax credit for firms that hire veterans with service related disabilities that have been unemployed for at least 6 months.

The Act would extend unemployment insurance for 6 million unemployed Americans and provide services to help them become employed. The Act would also provide tax credits to employers that hire long-term unemployed. The Act would also provide support for summer and year round employment for youth and provide training to youth and adults. The Act would also work to eliminate discrimination against the unemployed.

Public Service Employees
The Act would prevent up to 280,000 teacher layoffs due to state and local budget reductions and keep police officers and firefighters employed. The Act would expand wireless internet services for police, fire fighters, and emergency services personnel.

Foreclosed Properties
The Act would rrehabilitate hundreds of thousands of foreclosed and vacant properties across the country; support banks to buy, hold and redevelop distressed properties and establish property maintenance programs for previously vacant and abandoned properties.

Small Businesses
The Americans Jobs Act would provide tax cuts to help small businesses who provide 90% of the jobs in the economy. The tax cuts would be available regardless of size or type of business. A 50% reduction in payroll tax would be available to small employers on their first $5 million in payroll reducing the tax to 3.1% in 2012. The payroll tax cut is believed to be one of the most effective ways to create jobs and reduce costs for small businesses.

The Act would help small business startups and existing businesses expand and accelerate government payments to small contractors. A one-stop online site would be created that small businesses could use to access government programs and services to help them compete globally. The Act would delay the Bush Administration’s 3% withholding of payments made to contractors.

The Act would temporarily increase the limit on SBA guaranteed surety bonds from $2 to $5 million to help small businesses compete for and win bids on infrastructure projects. The Act would also work with the Securities and Exchange Commission to reduce regulations that address costs incurred by small businesses complying with the Sarbanes-Oxley auditing requirements.

The Act would extend the 100% expensing provision that rewards companies for making investments by allowing them to deduct the full value (bonus depreciation) of investments such as wireless, energy efficient, technology improvements and other advances through 2012.

The Act will reform the patent system and allow small businesses to get their ideas to market faster to help grow the economy and provide innovative solutions. The Act would repair and modernize classrooms and hire laid off teachers. It would also repair and modernize roads, railways and airports.

What is the reason Congress didn’t want to approve this Act or at least a part of it? Write your congressman to ask them to help the President improve the economy or develop their own bills to help improve the economy.

Make Money During Unemployment

Since the recession many Americans have become unemployed and have experienced financial crises. Other Americans have taken the opportunity to start businesses or go back to school to improve their financial life. If you are currently unemployed take time to reflect on your life and develop short and long term goals you want to achieve. Develop an action plan to ensure that you achieve those goals.

The days when a recruiter or head hunter finds you to hire you for a job are over. If you want to get employed you have to make opportunities happen. If lack of finances are a major factor in your life you will have to think outside of the box and think of creative ways to make money. Here are a few tips to help you earn money while you are unemployed.

1. Cleaning. Become a maid or janitor by cleaning houses or office buildings.
2. Dog walker. Walk dogs and/or groom pets. Offer to bathe dogs or cats.
3. Part-time. Look for part-time opportunities including those not in your field. Some companies hire part-time employees as full-time employees or offer benefits.
4. Volunteer. Offer to become a volunteer at a company that is in the same field or a similar field you want to work in. Some companies hire volunteers as permanent employees.
5. Babysitter. Offer to watch children during the week or on weekends when parents need to run errands or go for a night out.
6. Seasonal Work. Get hire during seasonal employment recruiting periods such as Christmas and the summer time.
7. Temp Agency. Sign up with 5-10 temporary or staffing agencies that find part-time or full-time temporary jobs. Some jobs are converted to permanent employment after 90 days.
8. Service Industry. If you have good customer service skills you can work as a customer service representative answering phone calls, serve as a hostess, waitress or receptionist.
9. Secret Shopper. You can become a secret shopper for a company or go shopping for elderly or sick individuals.
10. Sell Items. Sell new or unused items on eBay or Craigslist.
11. Network. Network with neighborhood workers to see if they need assistance with doing odd jobs such as lawn care, snow removal, tree removal, washing cars, etc.

Where to Find a Job

The unemployment rate has dropped to 9.5% which indicates that 14.6 million Americans are still out of work. In some cases those who previously worked one job now have to work two or three jobs to make ends meet if they want to survive in this economy.

Others are sitting back waiting for a job to magically appear or are in denial believing that they will be able make the salary they previously did or close too it. Still others have lived above their means – bought overpriced home, luxury cars, and lived the fairy tale lifestyle they dreamed of and are now paying the price.

Americans who have always lived below their means do not feel the effects of the recession as much others but are aware that wanting certain luxuries in life comes with a price - unless you are wealthy which is defined as being able to live comfortably for at least five years without working.

According to a Manpower survey more employers plan to increase hiring efforts starting in July 2010. The areas that have the most promising job opportunities are: Washington DC, Greenville, SC and San Antonio TX. Other areas that have promising job opportunities are: Syracuse, Buffalo, Rochester, Albany, Troy, NY; Memphis, TN; Milwaukee, Madison, WI; Wyoming, Grand Rapids, MI; Houston, El Paso, Baytown, TX; Carlisle, Harrisburg, Wilkes, Philadelphia, Camden, Wilmington, PA; West Des Moines, Des Moines, IA; Baton Rouge, LA; New Jersey; Delaware; Maryland; Salt Lake City, UT; Raleigh, NC; Alexandria, Arlington, VA and West Virginia.
Detroit Michigan which was hit hard by the auto industry failure and Las Vegas, Nevada have the least promising job opportunities.

According to the Conference Board, in May, Washington DC was the only area where the number of job vacancies was greater than the number of unemployed residents. The management consulting firm Accenture plans to hire 7,000 people in the U.S. and an additional 43,000 worldwide by August 31, 2010.

To improve your chance of getting hired: do research on the company, ask questions at the interview, take training classes or get a college degree. The job market is much more competitive now and you will have to do more than just have good interview skills to get hired.