The New York Post is complaining that people get too much money in unemployment benefits so they opt for these benefits over working an actual job. Boo Hoo. Let me try to shed a tear.

First, and most importantly, I don’t know where the Post is getting its statistics but they are both wrong and misleading. As a recent recipient of unemployment insurance, I can assure you that it is nowhere as large as the Post is stating. I received the maximum benefit for unemployment which was all of $450.00 a week which is $11,700 in a six month period. When I reached the six month limit, I was immediately cut off.

How the Post got $71,063 as the maximum benefit for the state of California is wrong. The statistics that the Post provided base there numbers on both adults in a family of four (2 adults and 2 dependent children) being unemployed. Highly unlikely but OK for the sake of argument lets go with it. Using California as a measurement this means $23,400 is the maximum benefit they would receive. The average cost of the Obamacare Health benefits for a family of 4 without subsidy is $1,403. I doubt that the government subsidized $38,000 for a benefit that only costs $1,403. The Post’s numbers just don’t add it.

Then, there is that the Obamacare subsidy is based on a person’s last year of income tax statement. When I was investigating whether to take Obamacare when I became unemployed I learned that I was ineligible for the subsidy because I worked a complete year and thus made too much money. I would become eligible for the subsidy only after I filed for income tax in the next year. By this time, I lost my unemployment benefits so coupling Unemployment and Obamacare benefits is misleading. The unemployed rarely, if ever, receive both benefits at the same time.

The Post also uses the maximum benefit as its benchmark. What the Post failed to advise its readers is that only the highest paid earners received the maximum. People who made lower salaries, received a lower level of unemployment insurance benefits. Yet, the way the Post frames their case, every unemployed person is making $71,063 (at least in California) on Unemployment Benefits and Obamacare. This sum isn’t even close to the truth. Most people aren’t receiving the maximum benefit and are not receiving it in conjunction with Obamacare subsidies.

Finally, and most damning of all, the present unemployment rate for nation is 3.7%. There isn’t a lot of unemployed people to get back into the workforce. Cutting Unemployment Benefits isn’t going to change this.

So what is a poor businessman to do? The answer, rooted in Capitalism, is he should raise wages so he can attract workers. Perhaps stay at home mothers, retirees and students might be enticed into the workforce with higher wages. Why not give it a try and see what happens? But, no, the Post would rather complain about the lazy nature of the American Worker instead of recommending that businesses adapt to the present economic situation and pay higher salaries.