Sounds like I could have been eligible 38 years ago. Never looked into it. I was making $350 a week. Payed rent, utilities, food, truck note, formula and diapers….heck, I was even smoking back then. It was tight, but some people can manage money. Like you, I have always worked. There was a span in between jobs where I drew unemployment, but back then, they called your contacts to make sure you were seeking employment. Not sure how that’s handled these days. I only did it the one time. I worked all the OT I could get.
As for your post, I’m not sure if that’s an incentive to work or not. There’s no drive in today’s workers. There are the few exceptions, of course, but most show up on a job and say pay me, I’m here. If being the father of a child doesn’t cause one to stop sowing the wild oats and settle down, nothing else will. People nowadays don’t shoulder responsibility very well. I was a good provider for my family. They’re grown now so I get to spend time with the grandkids. Nothing in the whole world beats that.