If the government provided what OP is suggesting, unemployment would skyrocket as there'd be a reduced incentive for ANYONE to work.
The vast majority of us in employment are not in our ideal jobs, earning the wage we deserve. I've only had two pay rises in the last decade and a half!
Yes, existing is sometimes a struggle, but at least I'm not so entitled to think that I can spend as long as I want waiting for the perfect job to come to me while living off of hard working tax payers money and complaining that it's not fair that I get everything paid for me but, boo-hoo, only for a few months??!
That's false, no one enjoys being on unemployment benefits. you barely get enough to even hold a rent anymore with it, let alone also covering food. What I'm saying is straight up, the government shouldn't pick your fucking job, by forcing you to apply to everything and everyone. Your In the UK, so you don't know what the United States Unemployment benefits look like, but to say the least, it's not a whole lot. And nor are you aware of how poorly the country is paying. If you saw the jobs over here and how they'd paid. I'd think you loose your shit.
I'm going to bring cost as an example again. Let's say Rent+ utilizes is $850 (which is incredibly low as most Americans Deal with Rent in the $1,000s the 850 number is assuming your living in like, maybe two particular states were either housing or apartment costs haven't skyrocketed)
If a job is still paying $8.25 (they still fucking exist) if we go by a biweekly schedule, and assume that you get paid twice within each month. (330 for $8.25 for 40 hours x 2 for biweekly pay off x 2 again for the second time of pay) that's 1,320 dollars, WITHOUT TAX. You still have to pay for food, car insurance, health insurance, and gas for said car.
Since your someone from the UK you probably don't know this but the United States urban design is hot garbage, it's completely designed around cars. Otherwise your walking over 6 lanes of cars in a tiny cross walk, there is little to no trees to cover the area as someone walks, and most of the urban design as a result essentially requires you to have a car. Bus systems are often heavily underfunded.
The goverment is essentially forcing you into a job, that isn't even above your living standards, but rather the job itself is below all standards of living. I'm not saying "oh well just live off unemployment forever" we live in a capitalist system. But what I am getting at is this is the same fucking shit that people would use to argue against communism in every form, that communists are going to choose your jobs.
As for unemployment skyrocketing, it's inventively going to skyrocket if companies keep paying jack shit. Either they deal with their shitty job where they no longer can afford to keep their house.
Or they go onto unemployment, which also won't afford them to keep their house. Which one are they going to do?
the one where they are going in 40 hours ,and not able to keep their home?
or the one where they quit their job, go unemployed, and still can't afford to keep their house?