I don't know if they could collect unemployment or not....but earning at that level they would not be collecting enough to matter.
This whole thing is a bit of a rip off....baseball organizations hold all the cards. If you want a shot at the big dream (illusion?) then you are going to take a plate full of crap and smile about it. You want to do something different outside the org standard for training? See ya. You are injured? See ya. You have family commitments/issues? See ya.
I would describe minor league baseball the same way I would describe JC baseball....a meat grinder.
I don't understand the comparison to JC baseball...
No comparison in terms of baseball obviously. The mentality can be the same. In my experience (just mine and other folks I know) the coaching in JC is bad. The don't develop players....for two reasons probably. First, they probably are not good enough coaches and they know they have guys for a couple of years max. Players look at it, generally, as a stepping stone. Coaches want to win, so, they don't give a toss about development. It is about recruitment. So, have 4 open spots in a rotation and having 45 pitchers trying out is not unusual, most of them saying they were "recruited".
A school without time, skill or resources to develop players are going to massively recruit. An MLB team sort of takes the same approach. Shove as many into the top of the meat grinder and hope something edible comes out the other end.
I tell high school kids the same thing whether they are talking to college recruiters or pro scouts....they don't care about you. They will wax on to the next guy same as they are to you. They are (in terms of recruiters/coaches anyway) used car salesman. The last game you play solely for fun is in high school.
If you want to try and make a career out of it then go in with open eyes. Watch out for yourself because no one else will.
Big numbers of hopefuls being sold largely a bunch of BS. The meat grinder.
I am sure that all situations are different and lumping all situations into the same category is futile IMHO. I am sure JC baseball is just like any other level of baseball. There are some really good coaches, and some that aren't really good.