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  3. Compared with the systems in other industrialized countries, the American unemployment-insurance (UI) scheme pays lower benefits

Compared with the systems in other industrialized countries, the American unemployment-insurance (UI) scheme pays lower benefits

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问题     Compared with the systems in other industrialized countries, the American unemployment-insurance (UI) scheme pays lower benefits for less time and to a smaller share of the unemployed. In expansions this encourages the jobless to return quickly to work—and unemployed Americans do indeed work harder at finding jobs than their European counterparts (see chart). But in recessions, when there is less work to return to, it causes hardship. Like America’s training system, UI is ripe for attention from the incoming Obama administration.
    Like much of the social safety net, the current UI system was a product of Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal. States were prodded to provide benefits in accordance with federal guidelines; in return the federal government paid their administrative costs. But the system has not kept up with changes in America’s labor force.
    States often require beneficiaries to have worked or earned an amount that disqualifies many part-time and low-wage workers. They also disqualify people seeking only part-time work—even though many people now work part-time for family reasons. Benefits typically last for only six months, more than enough time to find a new job in normal times but not in recessions. Extended benefits kick in automatically when unemployment reaches certain thresholds, but those thresholds are so high that they are almost never triggered.
    Congress therefore has to pass special legislation to extend benefits, as it did twice last year, but political wrangling often delays such action. In the week that ended on December 20th, 586,000 workers filed a first claim for unemployment benefits, the largest number for 26 years. Yet such claimants are, in one sense, lucky, typically, 60% of unemployed people don’t qualify for the benefits at all.
    Unemployment insurance is one of the economy’s most important automatic stabilisers, helping to maintain household purchasing power when the economy weakens. But that role is impaired by the short duration of benefits and their skimpy level. At just under $300, the average weekly benefit is less than half the average private-sector wage. Mississippi’s maximum benefit of $230 is not much more than the federal poverty threshold of $200 for an individual. Benefits are low, in part, because they are financed by payroll taxes that states levy on their employers. States don’t like to raise such taxes, even when times are good. But that means they lack the funds to pay benefits when times are bad, forcing them to raise other taxes or borrow from the federal government, as some 30 states are now considering.
    One of the best features of America’s system is "experience rating": employers that frequently lay workers off must pay higher payroll taxes, thereby discouraging such lay-offs. But according to Alan Krueger of Princeton, many states have neutered that feature by charging most employers the lowest tax rate.
    Several moves are afoot to mend the flaws in the UI system. Under a bill put forward by Jim McDermott, a congressman from Seattle, the government would offer cash incentives to states to expand eligibility to part-time workers and make the benefit formula more generous. A second bill would significantly expand eligibility for the 46-year old Trade Adjustment Assistance programme, for example by including service-sector workers and providing more generous benefits. Both measures passed the House of Representatives but stalled in the Senate. As a senator, Barack Obama backed both. As president, he might make them reality.  
Which of the following statements is CORRECT according to the first paragraph?
选项 A、American workers can get equal amount of benefits in less working time compared to Europeans.
B、American workers can get more benefits in less working time compared to Europeans.
C、The amount of benefits American unemployed get is in proportion to their working time.
D、The time interval American unemployed get benefits is smaller compared to Europeans.
答案D
解析 推断题。本题考查对第一段第一句的理解，该句句意为“与其他工业化国家相比，美国的失业保障体系照顾到的人群要少，给予失业人的救济力度也小，而且提供救济的时间段也较短。”[A]“美国工人与欧洲相比在更短的工作时间里得到同等的救济”，这与第一句的意思不符，故排除；[B]“美国工人与欧洲相比在更短的工作时间里得到更多的救济”，这更不符合，故排除；[C]“美国失业者所得救济额与其工作时间成比例”，这是误解了“pays lower benefits for less time”的意思，原文表达的是“比其他工业国支付的少、并且持续的时间短”，故排除。[D]正是“for less time”所要表达的意思，故答案为[D]。
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