More on that unemployment benefit “debate”

It’s about class, and nothing more.

But maybe there is a clue to be found in exactly who is getting those unemployment benefits. Robert Frank had an interesting column in the Wall Street Journal a couple of weeks ago breaking down the unemployment statistics by class background.

According to a study from Northeastern University’s Center for Labor Studies, unemployment for those in the top income decile — individuals earning more than $150,000 a year — was 3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009. That compares with unemployment of 31 percent for the bottom 10 percent of income, and unemployment of 9 percent for the middle decile.

Thirty-one percent! The poor are getting absolutely destroyed by the economic downturn, while the rich skate by. Who do you think the critics of unemployment benefits are pitching their message to?