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Long-Term Unemployment Benefits Expire For 93,000 Californians

HARVARD HEIGHTS (CBS) — Across the state Saturday, an estimated 93,000 Californians will join thousands of others whose unemployment benefits have run out.

With California's unemployment rate dropping to 11 percent, the state's long-term unemployed will now qualify to receive for 79 weeks of assistance as opposed to the 99 weeks which were previously offered.

Cristy Fajardo, reporting for CBS2 and KCAL9, spoke with Brenda Callahan-Johnson of Merced County Community Action, who says that a lot of people are unaware that they will be losing their benefits.

"A lot of these people are not gonna know that they're not getting unemployment until they get the letter in the mail and they're gonna be scared," she said.

Even with modest job gains, California is still outpacing the nation at unemployment. As Farjado reports, the state's rate is almost 3 percent higher than the national average of 8.2 percent.

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