7.5 Million Jobless Americans Now Without Unemployment Benefits

Over the weekend, enhanced unemployment benefits expired – including $300 weekly bonus checks – as well as coverage for freelancers and the long-term employed, affecting more than 11 million people, with roughly 7.5 million who’ve lost their benefits entirely.

According to estimates by The Century Foundation, 7.5 million people are no longer receiving unemployment compensation. Another 2.7 million will continue receiving state payments despite being cut off from the additional $300 weekly funds.

The nationwide unemployment benefits program ended this week and Congress is not expected to renew the benefits for jobless Americans.

Unemployed individuals received $600 a week from April through July last year. The program was extended in late December of last year, but reduced to $300 a week.

“We’ve protected people up until now from the real damage of long-term unemployment,” Andrew Stettner, Senior Fellow at The Century Foundation, said. “Now we have to see whether this job market is really strong enough to keep people out of long-term harm at a time when people don’t have some of the other protections — like the housing protections — they had during the pandemic.”

The United States Department of Labor reported that only 235,000 jobs were added to the job market in August.

Child care and health concerns are hindering Americans from returning to work.

The pandemic is ongoing, and new variants are continuing to develop.

“Expanded unemployment benefits have been a lifeline for millions,” Peter Hepburn, a professor of sociology at Rutgers University, said. “They’ve helped families keep food on the table, kids out of poverty, and rent paid. It seems almost inevitable that losing these benefits is going to make life harder for a lot of people.”

States are setting aside federal funds to create programs to help people get back to work.

Arizona is offering its residents a one-time $2,000 bonus to get a full-time job. Residents that seek part-time jobs will receive $1,000

President Biden said last month that states could use federal relief funds to extend the programs beyond Labor Day, but so far, no states have announced their intentions to do so

 

About RavenH

Raven Haywood is a journalist for 10+ years. Graduate from Howard University.

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