Amber Said:

Would you leave Massachusetts? for Tampa FL or North Carolina?

We Answered:

For the most part the whole east coast has the same problem and maybe the west coast.

If you live anywhere near a major city, the cost of living is very high however there are jobs to be had. In different pay grades of course. If you live in a smaller town the pay is less and the cost is not very much less. Although you may get into a house the utilities and upkeep run the same as everywhere else. Yet the income is less.

Be very careful when moving to another state if you are a certified or licensed worker. In some states you have to re-apply for you certifications and licenses. Many years ago my Dad wanted to move to FL and found out he needed to be a resident for 6 months before he could get his barber license transferred from New England. This was years ago but check into it.

If you are going to do the move - at least one of you should confirm a job in writing before moving.

Bonnie Said:

i have a 1099-G form from unemployment for taxes will i get a refund on unemployment?

We Answered:

your $1000 job search and donations will do nothing for you, ignore them, they do not exceed your standard deduction
and if you are single, your non taxable income is $9350(no dependents) therefore $3005 of your unemployment is taxable, probably $301 you should see a refund of $905

James Said:

Im a primary school teacher in the US and im moving to Ireland. How do I get certified and find a job abroad?

We Answered:

The official Department of Education website here is www.education.ie

We teach Irish in schools here, so if you want to work in a primary school you either have to have done a diploma in Irish alongside your degree in education, or you can do an exam here to qualify you. Without Irish you will not get a long-term job in an Irish primary school. We teach Irish not as a separate subject, but as part of our everyday language - everyday phrases, nouns, orders etc are usually "as Gaeilge". Your education degree should be recognised here (you'd have to check with the department to make sure). You can send your details in to schools in the area you're moving to and see if you can get some substitute work, but it could be fairly tough without Irish.

There isn't any primary teaching programme in Galway, so I'm not sure what course you're referring to there, the primary teaching courses are in Limerick and Dublin only. Have a look on the department website and see if there's someone there you can contact, or you could contact the INTO (Irish National Teachers' Organisation)www.into.ie and see if they can give you any advice.

Edith Said:

Apartments in New Hampshire, just over the Massachusetts/New Hampshire border?

We Answered:

I think your best bet would be Salem, NH....Here is what I think is the best site for searching for apartments. I have already narrowed down your search to the NH level, but make sure to check out Salem and Derry. Salem would only be a 15 minute commute:

http://www.forrent.com/search-apartments…

Make sure to check out the community clips and floorplans...I thought these were extremely helpful when I was searching! Good luck!

Derek Said:

Unemployment appeal hearing - earlier effective date of claim?

We Answered:

One important point was if severance was issued in a lump sum, or continued pay..

If you were issued continued pay, and it was more than the amount of unemployment insurance benefits, your benefits would have been $0 anyway, so while you could have filed earlier, your benefits would not have started until the 8 weeks is up. If you pay was less than benefits, you would have received the difference.

As far as the appeal process goes its fairly simple, each party presents their case to either and examiner or tribunal (not sure which MA uses), which hears all evidence and makes a decision. It's usually fairly informal.

You should bring copies of your severance agreement, as well as copies of your severance pay stubs.

My expectation is that you will be found correct on appeal, but it will not make a difference unless the severance payment was lump sum.