As the economy continues to trudge along, more people are submitting claims for unemployment benefits. In the week ending January 17, more than 4,776,000 Americans received checks from the government to cover job loss, an increase of 61% over the same week last year. This number includes 588,000 individuals who filed for unemployment for the first time that week, an increase of 3,000 compared to the week ending January 10.

Has unemployment in this economic downturn affected you? I have one friend who owns a business. He has had some trouble keeping clients lately; fewer companies want to pay for his services when they need to direct money to more immediate issues. I have an additional friend who was laid off last year when a large publishing empire tightened its belt, but he is the only person I know who has lost his job due to what the media has been talking about for months.

That is, except for Dilbert. Dilbert’s boss fired him for using company resources to start a web business (watch out, bloggers), but Scott Adams’ decision to allow Dilbert to join the unemployed masses may be rooted in the general economic sentiment in this country. Recent strips have Dilbert concerned about his lack of income in a world in which bills are imminent and unforgiving.

Here are two recent strips which illustrate what many Americans are experiencing right now. Click the strips to view them full-size.

January 26

January 27

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