Instead of trying to cut back on the number of weeks of unemployment benefits, why not require a minimum of ten hours of work per week to maintain one's benefits. This requirement would only go into affect after the recipient has received 6 months of unemployment compensation. This 10 hours could be completed in a single day or spread out over a period of days (to be determined by employer and employee).
The benefit to the taxpayer is that this work requirement can be used to fill the void left by city, state and federal employees who have been laid off in the past few years. The benefit to the unemployed individual is that they will be able to maintain their skills, they can legitimately say that they are currently employed and they will still have plenty of time to continue their work searches.
Why is this important?
Provide the benefits the unemployed need, while the unemployed provide services the government needs.
