Despite encouraging job figures Wednesday, millions of Americans are still having a tough time finding work.

Congress failed to extend unemployment benefits.

Alexis Christoforous reports, when those checks runs out this month, many will face hard times.

Walley Baca has been out of work for two years and his financial safety net is about to disappear. He's expecting just one more check from the government before his unemployment benefits run out.

"Sometimes you'll have breakfast in the morning and skip lunch and have something minimum in the evening just to get by," says Baca.

Baca worked for more than 20 years in the financial industry, but now says he'd take anything.

Many Americans are in the same boat. Congress failed to pass an extension for the so-called long-term unemployed, meaning 2 million people could lose their benefits by the end of the year.

On Capitol Hill, 100 jobless workers joined Speaker Pelosi in calling for a one year extension.

"Unless you've been in our shoes you can't imagine the despair we feel at knowing we have reached the end of the line despite our best efforts," he said.

At a New York employment agency, job listings have been on the rise . But improvement is gradual, and so far it's not enough to put a meaningful dent in the number of unemployed.

Lawmakers are deadlocked on how to pay for an extension without increasing the deficit and some are concerned that if benefits continue, some people won't bother to look for work.

Wally Baca says that's wrong. "I made the effort to look for jobs, I've been calling agencies week after week, sending out resumes week after week and there's nothing."

Of the 15 million workers unemployed in the US, nearly half have been out of work for over six months.