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Hrm. The last time I was unemployed for an extended period of time, I didn't consider 'any' job - I looked for jobs that matched my skills and would be satisfying jobs for me in the long-term. I'm a software developer. So, while I maybe could've gotten a minimum-wage job, but it wouldn't have made much sense...I wouldn't have been developing my career, or improving my resume, expanding my skills, or on any sort of path to get to any of those goals. I'm not sure exactly how it would have worked out, but with minimum wage employment versus unemployment benefits, my unemployment benefits were a much better financial position.
Now, if I didn't have the skills as a software developer (or other high-paying career), or if my skills were obsolete, then maybe any job would have been better than no job...but honestly, I don't see a way where taking an unskilled labor job would have been better for me or my family than putting my energy into getting a new job with my skill set.
I think in this case, unemployment benefits provide a net benefit to society...If it weren't for unemployment benefits, I would have been forced to take anything available. I'd like to think that, since the company I work for pays me about 10x what McDonald's would pay for an unskilled position, I'm providing more to the economy in this fashion than I would have just settling for any job I could get., and that outweighs the cost of providing unemployment benefits for all.
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