In other words, ABAWD time limit waivers will only be granted to an area where “there is an unemployment rate of over 10 percent or does not have a sufficient number of jobs to provide employment for individuals.”
In a statement, Sec. Purdue said, “Americans are generous people who believe it is their responsibility to help their fellow citizens when they encounter a difficult stretch. Government can be a powerful force for good, but government dependency has never been the American dream. We need to encourage people by giving them a helping hand but not allowing it to become an indefinitely giving hand.”
36 million Americans are currently receiving food stamps
He added, “Now, in the midst of the strongest economy in a generation, we need everyone who can work, to work. This rule lays the groundwork for the expectation that able-bodied Americans re-enter the workforce where there are currently more job openings than people to fill them.”
The USDA is proposing its final rule since the country’s unemployment rate is 3.6 percent and there are 7 million job openings based on the latest data from the Department of Labor (DOL).