We have been hearing stories of struggles in the job market and small triumphs this week on The Takeaway. We’re asking listeners to tell us their stories of how unemployment has affected their lives. 

The extension for unemployment benefits that came along with the compromise tax deal is good news for many of the unemployed, but it won’t help the 1.4 million Americans who have been out of a job for over 99 weeks. Alexandra Jarrin is one of the “99ers,” who have exhausted their unemployment insurance benefits. She says the Government is "thumbing their noses" at the long-term unemployed and favors other priorities. 

The deadline for Congress to extend benefits to those who have been unemployed for up to 99 weeks is quickly passing. This means that up to two million Americans could lose their unemployment benefits over the next few weeks. Richard Iritano stopped receiving unemployment benefits on March 28, 2010, after 99 weeks without a job. He discusses his experiences as an unemployed American.

Anthony Fraccia hoped that offering a job in Michigan at his small business — a part-time position that would become full-time depending on performance — he'd get plenty of applicants. But one potential employee who called told him they wouldn't take the job because "I make more on unemployment." It took a minute for it all to sink in, but it left Fraccia wondering if extending unemployment benefits was actually bad for business.

This week, Democrats in Congress broke a Republican filibuster and passed legislation to extend unemployment benefits. 2.5 million unemployed people will get payments retroactive to the time they stopped receiving benefits. One of those is Michelle Ives, who got her last check in June, and has resorted to desperate measures while she waited for her check (including taking out a 35 percent loan on her car).

The Senate is set to vote later today on extending unemployment benefits, just 15 minutes after the new Democratic senator from West Virginia is sworn in to replace Robert Byrd. The new senator’s arrival will give Democrats the last vote they need to overcome a Republican-led filibuster.

While lawmakers are adjourned this week for the July 4th recess, many of the country's millions of unemployed workers await their return for an expected vote on an extension of unemployment insurance benefits.