The federal law establishing unemployment compensation was part of the 1935 bill signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt which created the Social Security system. It was designed not just to pull our economy out of the Great Depression, but to provide a safety net going forward for average working Americans, specifically when things got economically tough through no fault of their own. Unemployment Compensation helps those of working age who are temporarily out of a job, and Social Security provides a cushion for those over 65, who are no longer employed.

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