“I was already quite aware of the problems of inequalities but I am even more aware today, notes Jacob Bernard, in his thirties, a bartender in New York. We live on the brink of poverty. This episode made me much more aware of the violence our government and our economy inflict on the most vulnerable. “
Since March, he himself has had its ups and downs. At the time of confinement decided by the State of New York, the bar for which he worked put him out of work. He and several of the tenants living in his building in Brooklyn then decided to suspend payment of their rent. At the time, Jacob Bernard embarked on this “strike”, observed across the country, out of solidarity, to protest against the inaction of the authorities. Six months later, he does so out of necessity. “Now it would be difficult for me to pay, even if I wanted to”, he explains.
Aid has been reduced
In April, Jacob Bernard benefited from the assistance of 600 dollars (515 €) per week distributed to the unemployed. The federal state has provided for this amount in its support plan of more than $ 2 trillion, the Cares Act, put in place at the start of the pandemic. It even allowed Jacob to live more comfortably than when he was working. “As I went out less, I had a lot less expenses. I was even able to repay some loans ”, he said. Like other US taxpayers, he also received a one-time payment of $ 1,200 (€ 1,030), a provision also provided for in the Cares Act.
→ ANALYSIS. United States, 30 million unemployed suspended from the recovery plan
With the gradual reopening of outdoor restaurants and the reduction in unemployment benefits, in August, he decided to return to work. “I wanted to stay loyal to my employer and I knew that the aid would not last, he said. However, with the reduction in staff and the reduction in hours, I am doing other people’s work but I earn half the money. “ He continues to receive $ 150 (€ 130) per week in subsidies reserved for part-time workers. But that wouldn’t even cover his rent of $ 1,700 (€ 1,460), if he paid it.
The unemployment rate at 8.4%
In his building of 34 apartments, owned by a large New York real estate owner, a few residents have left. Of those who remain, half have not paid their rent since April. Jacob Bernard now dreads the fateful date of 1is October, the day the moratorium on evictions in New York State expires.
To the United States, the unemployment rate fell to 8.4% of the labor force in August, after rising to 14.7% in May. But we are still far from the pre-crisis level which was 3.5%.
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