All families are not created equal. At least not in this recession.

A recent study shows that rates of unemployment among the lowest income families are 30.8 percent, while the highest income families have an unemployment rate of only 3.2 percent.[1] For our most vulnerable families, these unemployment rates rival those during the Great Depression.

And adding to the crisis, if Congress does not take action to extend unemployment benefits this week, state unemployment insurance offices will need to start eliminating benefits in March for millions of these Americans.

Tell Congress, its first order of business this week must be to extend the unemployment insurance extension until the end of 2010.

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1768/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=1001

Unemployment insurance is a lifeline for millions of families most in need and supports economic recovery for us all. Without unemployment insurance, more homes will be lost to foreclosure, bringing down the value of all homes, less money will flow through communities, and families in need will have to find other public supports. This downward cycle hampers the economic recovery that will bring jobs and economic security to all of us.

Tell Congress to act now to make sure that millions of our most vulnerable families have access to unemployment insurance benefits that will keep them in their homes and able to continue looking for work and caring for their children.

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1768/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=1001

And please forward this blog to your friends and family so they can take action too.

Thank you for your work on behalf of America’s families!

[1]  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/09/opinion/09herbert.html, http://www.clms.neu.edu/publication/