perhaps pedestrians should be charged a shoe tax. don t give them any ideas. americans about to lose their unemployment benefits. diane macedo has more. 1 million are set to lose employment benefits during a program created to supplement state unemployment aid. lawmakers extended the emergency benefits 11 times since they were instituted in 2008 paying out $225 billion in benefits. it means those collecting unemployment will only be able to do so for the 28 weeks or so the state is willing to pay them rather than the 99 weeks granted under the federal program. whether this is a good thing or bad thing depends on who you ask. jack read has already announced plans to introduce a 3 month extension to the benefits in a conference call yesterday he told reporters from a human level cutting 1.3 mill americans