Madmaxx, you don’t pay 3% of your paycheck to unemployment. Your employer pays it. And it’s not 3%, it’s a floating rate based on employer’s unemployment experience rate. And it’s not on all wages, in California and most other states, it’s only on the first $7K of annual wages.
I can’t deny that there is some abuse. I suspect the level of abuse is small. But it isn’t enough money to maintain the lifestyle compared to a full paycheck. With somewhere between 9 and 17% unemployment, it is among the most “common man” government program that exists.
