<ul class="summary-list"><li>Interviews through a <keyword id="11896851" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="minnesota" source="Orion">Minnesota</keyword> <keyword id="11899183" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="jobs" source="Orion">jobs</keyword> agency shot up in the run up to enhanced <keyword id="11898807" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="unemployment-benefits" source="Orion">unemployment benefits</keyword> expiring, its owner said.</li><li>He told MPR <keyword id="11893589" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news" source="Orion">News</keyword> that people had become "a little bit more motivated" to start looking for jobs.</li><li>Other businesses say they're still struggling to find staff, even after the benefits have ended.</li></ul>The owner of a jobs agency in Minnesota told <a href="https://www.mprnews.org/story/2021/09/27/cash-bonuses-and-free-lunches-no-end-in-sight-to-labor-shortage">MPR News</a> that locals had shown a renewed interest in looking for <keyword id="11896063" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="work" source="Orion">work</keyword> in the run-up to enhanced unemployment benefits ending.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/unemployment-aid-federal-programs-end-labor-day-millions-americans-affected-2021-9">Enhanced unemployment benefits expired on Labor Day</a>, September 6. In early August, the agency was facilitating "in the mid-20 interviews per week," but more recently it had "averaged roughly 40 interviews per week," Karl Amlie, who owns and manages the Forest Lake, Minnesota, division of Express Employment Professionals, said. "So we've really seen numbers uptick here in the last four or five weeks as people are anticipating those unemployment benefits ending. A lot of people started becoming a little bit more motivated to reach out and start looking for a job," he said.Companies across the US are struggling to find staff, and some business owners <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/labor-shortage-hospitality-restaurant-cafe-interviews-jobs-california-elk-grove-2021-9?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">have blamed these jobless benefits</a>. The benefits incentivized people to stay at home, they argue.But workers say that they're holding out for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/labor-shortage-hospitality-workers-restaurant-hotels-pay-wages-joblist-survey-2021-7">better pay, job benefits, and working conditions</a>.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pandemic-not-unemployment-keeps-workers-home-jobs-report-2021-9">Rising cases of the Delta variant are putting some off from applying for jobs</a>, too.Employers are split on whether the end of the benefits has helped <keyword id="11897160" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="hiring" source="Orion">hiring</keyword>.A restaurant owner in Portland said that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/labor-shortage-fpuc-unemployment-benefits-portland-restaurant-job-applications-employment-2021-9">job applications were up roughly 50%</a> since benefits ended - but some companies in states that cut off the benefits months early are <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/florida-alabama-labor-shortage-unemployment-benefits-covid-fpuc-2021-9?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">still struggling to find staff</a>.Two <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/labor-shortage-chick-fil-a-closing-early-short-staffing-alabama-2021-8">Chick-fil-A restaurants in Alabama</a>, for example, started shutting early in August "due to extremely short staffing." The state ended enhanced unemployment benefits early in May.Daniel Zhao, a senior economist at Glassdoor, previously told <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pandemic-not-unemployment-keeps-workers-home-jobs-report-2021-9">Insider</a>, "It's entirely possible that the withdrawal of enhanced unemployment benefits led to a small increase in payrolls, but it's just being completely overwhelmed by Delta."Expanded Coverage Module: what-is-the-labor-shortage-and-how-long-will-it-last

The owner of a Minnesota job agency said interviews shot up 60% before enhanced unemployment benefits expired

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6357385" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="florida">Florida</keyword> Gov. <keyword id="2947172" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Ron-DeSantis">Ron DeSantis</keyword> said the state's <keyword id="6358907" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="unemployment">unemployment</keyword> system was structured to keep benefit payouts to a minimum and discourage people from seeking them.</li><li>"I think the goal was for whoever designed, it was, 'Let's put as many kind of pointless roadblocks along the way, so people just say, oh, the hell with it, I'm not going to do that,'" he said in a CBS4 Miami interview.</li><li>Many states after the Great Recession moved to tighten jobless <keyword id="53654" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Benefits">benefits</keyword> and keep payouts to a minimum, and the unemployment system in Florida melted down early on in the pandemic.</li></ul>Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state's unemployment system was designed to pay the least amount of claims and frustrate jobless people seeking benefits.In an <a href="https://miami.cbslocal.com/2020/08/04/exclusive-governor-ron-desantis-acknowledges-florida-unemployment-system-designed-frustrate/">interview with CBS4 Miami</a> which aired Tuesday, the Florida Republican characterized that approach as the system's "animating philosophy.""I mean having studied how it was internally constructed, I think the goal was for whoever designed, it was, 'Let's put as many kind of pointless roadblocks along the way, so people just say, oh, the hell with it, I'm not going to do that,'" he said.Asked whether it was the intention of his predecessor Rick Scott — now a US senator — to structure unemployment benefits that way, DeSantis said the system was designed to cut benefit payments to a minimum."I'm not sure if it was his, but I think definitely in terms of how it was internally constructed," he said. "It was definitely done in a way to lead to the least number of claims being paid out."Sen. Rick Scott's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biggest-obstacles-to-the-next-coronavirus-stimulus-unemployment-2020-7">Lawmakers are $2 trillion apart on a coronavirus stimulus that could bring a fresh round of checks and restart boosted unemployment benefits. Here are the top obstacles to a deal.</a>The comments reflect a reality for many unemployment systems across the country. After the Great Recession, many states moved to tighten access to benefits and reduce the amount of money paid out, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/30/upshot/unemployment-state-restrictions-pandemic.html">The New York Times reported</a>. By 2019, only 11% of unemployed people in Florida were collecting benefits, federal data shows.The unemployment system in Florida, like almost every other in the US, confronted an avalanche of jobless claims at the onset of the pandemic. States scrambled to add a $600 federal supplement and also expand eligibility to gig workers and independent contractors who usually don't qualify for benefits.The state's website for jobless claims repeatedly crashed early on. In April, images of hundreds of people lining up to file paper forms in southern Florida <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-hundreds-in-florida-line-up-for-unemployment-assistance-2020-4">garnered national attention.</a>DeSantis sought to deflect blame for the meltdown in the CBS Miami interview, saying <a href="https://flauditor.gov/pages/pdf_files/2019-183.pdf">a 2019 state audit</a> of the unemployment system never reached his desk. That report from auditors warned DeSantis the unemployment website contained serious glitches and errors hindering its effectiveness, <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/news/health/2020/03/31/ron-desantis-was-warned-about-floridas-broken-unemployment-website-last-year-audit-shows/#:~:text=Health-,Ron%20DeSantis%20was%20warned%20about%20Florida's%20broken%20unemployment%20website%20last,to%20evaluate%20and%20fix%20them.&amp;text=TALLAHASSEE%20%E2%80%94%20State%20auditors%20warned%20Gov.Gov.">The Tampa Bay Times reported.</a>Around 2.2 million Floridians are now collecting unemployment benefits, <a href="http://lmsresources.labormarketinfo.com/covid19/initial_claims.html">according to the state's Department of Economic Opportunity</a>.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/real-estate-investing-strategy-shift-from-flipping-homes-to-wholesaling-2020-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">100 deals and $1 million in profit a year: Here's how Mike Simmons made a simple change to his real-estate investing strategy that took him from small-time house flipper to full-fledged mogul</a>

Florida's governor says the state's unemployment system was set up to 'pay out the least number of claims' and discourage people seeking benefits

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Ending <keyword id="414451" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="unemployment-benefits">unemployment benefits</keyword> early could cost local economies dearly, a congressional committee said.</li><li>The 25 GOP states ending $300 weekly payments early could cost themselves a collective $12 billion, it said.</li><li>Texas alone could lose out on $3.51 billion in less than four months, the Joint Economic Committee said.</li></ul>States choosing to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/republican-states-cutting-unemployment-benefits-expanded-300-weekly-biden-stimulus-2021-5">end the supplemental $300-a-week unemployment benefit early</a> could cost local economies more than $12 billion, according to a <a href="https://www.jec.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/1f9672bb-2ce0-40ff-acde-aede9b99867f/fpuc-and-gop-govs-06.02.2021.pdf">report</a> by the bipartisan Joint Economic Committee published on Wednesday.Cutting the benefit early could ultimately hamper economic recovery from the coronavirus because people would have less money to spend, the Congressional committee said.So far, 25 states - <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/republican-states-cutting-unemployment-benefits-expanded-300-weekly-biden-stimulus-2021-5">all with GOP governors</a> - have said that they're ending the Federal Pandemic <keyword id="6358907" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="unemployment">Unemployment</keyword> Compensation (FPUC), introduced through the CARES Act, at least seven weeks before the national expiry date of September 5.This would cut disposable income for local residents, the report said. The sooner states prematurely cut off FPUC, the more money their local economies stand to lose.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mcdonalds-franchisees-blame-labor-shortage-on-unemployment-benefits-2021-5?inline-read-more">McDonald's franchisees blame hiring challenges on unemployment benefits and say an 'inflationary time bomb' will force them to hike Big Mac prices</a>The committee estimated that every $1 in unemployment insurance generated $1.61 in local spending. This equated to more than $12 billion in total between June 19 to September 5, based on the expiry date and number of FPUC claims in the states cutting off benefits, it said.Texas is set to lose the most local spending, at $3.51 billion, per the report. More than 1 million people - or 7.5% of its total labor force - received FPUC in April.Texas is followed by Ohio, which could lose $1.91 billion, the committee said. Nearly 10% of its total labor force received FPUC in April.Twenty of the states pulling the plug on FPUC are also ending the two other unemployment insurance schemes introduced through the CARES Act: Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, which the report said would cut spending even further."By ending these programs early, states are refusing billions of already appropriated federal dollars that could be spent in local groceries, restaurants, and retail shops," the committee said.And it hit back at <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/economist-why-ending-pandemic-unemployment-benefits-terrible-for-us-economy-2021-5">claims that unemployment benefits were suppressing reemployment</a>. The average unemployment benefit plus the $300 supplement exceeds average weekly wages in only three states, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/unemployment-benefits-versus-average-wages-across-the-us-2021-5">an analysis by Insider found</a>.The committee said that, instead, concerns about the virus were the most likely reason why some people weren't reentering the workforce."Claims of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-labor-shortage-workers-hiring-chamber-commerce-jobs-emergency-2021-6">worker scarcity</a> are largely anecdotal and not supported by national data," the committee said in its report. It came just one day after <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-labor-shortage-workers-hiring-chamber-commerce-jobs-emergency-2021-6">the US Chamber of Commerce</a> called the <keyword id="637029" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="labor-shortage">labor shortage</keyword> a "national economic emergency" that's getting worse by the day.The committee's report also cited a May 26 note from JPMorgan, which said that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/labor-shortage-unemployment-jpmorgan-says-politics-not-economics-2021-5">the decision to cut unemployment benefits was "tied to politics, not economics."</a>The committee said that unemployment insurance "played an important role in the recovery by stabilizing consumption and keeping jobseekers from dropping out of the labor force entirely."It said that people would still be able to afford rent, food, and medications, and that the insurance would give them "the breathing room they need to find a better-paying job."

GOP states cutting $300 unemployment benefits early will cost local economies $12 billion because people will have less money to spend, a bipartisan congressional committee said

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Ten <keyword id="6357385" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="florida">Florida</keyword> residents sued the state for stopping federal <keyword id="414451" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="unemployment-benefits">unemployment benefits</keyword> early.</li><li>They claim the state, and Gov. <keyword id="2947172" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Ron-DeSantis">Ron DeSantis</keyword>, ended benefits for "political purposes."</li><li>Florida is among 26 states ending federal unemployment programs early.</li></ul>Ten Florida residents have sued Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/republican-states-cutting-unemployment-benefits-expanded-300-weekly-biden-stimulus-2021-5">ending the $300 supplemental unemployment benefits</a> more than two months early.The plaintiffs demanded that DeSantis reinstate the benefits, which he stopped in June, and send retroactive payments for the benefits they missed. Without the benefits, they couldn't afford housing, utilities, food, healthcare, and childcare, they said.The <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/517292887/Read-Florida-unemployment-lawsuit-filed#download">lawsuit</a>, filed Sunday in Broward County, Florida, also named the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and its director Dane Eagle as defendants. They filed the lawsuit "on behalf of themselves and all unemployed Floridians."So far, 26 states - <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/republican-states-cutting-unemployment-benefits-expanded-300-weekly-biden-stimulus-2021-5">almost all with GOP governors</a> - have said they're ending at least one of three pandemic unemployment insurance programs early.The programs were introduced through the <keyword id="9073299" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="cares-act">CARES Act</keyword> in March 2020 and are set to expire on September 5. Some lawmakers and business owners have <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/federal-reserve-labor-shortage-could-last-months-firms-cutting-production-2021-6?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">blamed the benefits for the current labor shortage</a>, but <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/little-sign-ending-unemployment-benefits-solved-labor-shortage-jpmorgan-stimulus-2021-7?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">JPMorgan</a> said earlier this month there was "little sign" that ending unemployment benefits early had pushed people back to <keyword id="6355058" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="work">work</keyword>.The lawsuit said that the defendants "have taken actions against these Broward County residents to deprive them of real and personal property rights" by cutting off access to Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) early.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/business-economy-worker-shortage-restaurants-rights-wages-protest-2021-7?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">I'm a millionaire businessman who was arrested for protesting with restaurant workers. We demand better wages for the employees running our economy.</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/republican-states-cutting-unemployment-benefits-expanded-300-weekly-biden-stimulus-2021-5#florida-5">DeSantis, Eagle, and the DEO announced in May that Florida would end its participation in the FPUC program</a> from June 26. The lawsuit claimed that this was "for purely partisan and political purposes.""Each of the plaintiffs have suffered economic hardships because of COVID, have had difficulty finding work and now, with the discontinuation of the FPUC, face even more pressing financial hardships," Sunday's lawsuit said.It added that the plaintiffs "have suffered and will continue to suffer substantial and irreparable harms" and couldn't afford basic living expenses.Florida's unemployment compensation program pays a <a href="https://www.stateofflorida.com/articles/florida-unemployment/#three">maximum of $275 per week</a> for 12 weeks. This makes it one of the shortest and lowest-paying unemployment compensation programs in the country, the lawsuit claims."Defendants have a clear statutory duty to secure for Floridians all available federal unemployment benefits including those under FPUC," the lawsuit said.The lawsuit sought a mandatory injunction to make the state take all federal unemployment insurance benefits available from the US Department of Labor, and to prevent Florida from refusing any in the future.The DEO told Insider that it would contest the alleged violation of law. It said that it withdrew from these benefits because of "positive, record-breaking economic factors," such as its unemployment rate, which it said had remained below the national rate for the past 11 months.Florida isn't the first state facing legal action over its decision to end benefits early.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/eric-holcomb-indiana-federal-enhanced-unemployment-benefits-restored-lawsuit-2021-7">Indiana</a> resumed paying pandemic unemployment benefits, including back payments, in mid-July after the state Court of Appeals denied its attempt to continue halting the benefit. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/eric-holcomb-indiana-federal-enhanced-unemployment-benefits-restored-lawsuit-2021-7">Maryland</a> was ordered to continue its federal unemployment supplemental payments, too.The bipartisan Joint Economic Committee said in June that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/unemployment-benefits-states-cutting-early-cost-economy-congressional-committee-extension-2021-6">the states ending FPUC payments early could lose a collective $12 billion</a> because residents have less disposable income to spend. Texas alone would miss out on $3.51 billion in less than four months, it said.

10 Florida residents sue state governor Ron DeSantis for ending $300 unemployment benefits 2 months early

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Some companies are struggling to hire staff months after their states cut enhanced jobless benefits.</li><li>One <keyword id="11910362" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="florida" source="Orion">Florida</keyword> restaurant said it hired high school students and got staff to <keyword id="11896063" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="work" source="Orion">work</keyword> more overtime.</li><li>Workers say they want higher pay, better benefits, and a different work environment.</li></ul>Some companies in states that cut <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/when-do-unemployment-benefits-end-2021-pua-peuc-fpuc-8">enhanced unemployment benefits</a> months ago say they're still struggling to find workers.<a href="https://www.theledger.com/story/business/economy/2021/09/05/polk-county-labor-shortage-persists-sales-demand-continue-rise/5657378001/">The Ledger</a> reported that some companies in Polk County, central Florida, were struggling to find enough workers more than two months after the state cut the extra benefits. Insider has reported on a similar situation in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/republican-states-cutting-unemployment-benefits-expanded-300-weekly-biden-stimulus-2021-5">Alabama,</a> which cut enhanced benefits in mid-June.The enhanced <keyword id="11932128" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="federal-unemployment-benefits" source="Orion">federal unemployment benefits</keyword>, which were introduced in March last year at the outset of the pandemic, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/when-do-unemployment-benefits-end-2021-pua-peuc-fpuc-8">expire across the US on Monday</a>. The added benefits include a $300 weekly supplemental payment to unemployed individuals through the Federal Pandemic <keyword id="11898806" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="unemployment" source="Orion">Unemployment</keyword> Compensation program (FPUC). Some states have already cut the enhanced benefits. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis cancelled FPUC on June 26, prompting <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/unemployment-benefits-early-florida-gov-desantis-sued-payments-2021-7">a lawsuit from residents</a> who said that without the benefits they couldn't afford housing, utilities, food, healthcare, and childcare.Some business owners hope that cutting the enhanced benefits will mark the beginning of the end for a crippling <keyword id="11908404" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="labor-shortage" source="Orion">labor shortage</keyword> that has caused companies to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/labor-shortage-chick-fil-a-closing-early-short-staffing-alabama-2021-8">slash opening hours</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chick-fil-a-restaurants-alabama-labor-shortage-closed-dining-rooms-2021-8">limit operations</a>, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/labor-shortage-chicken-wing-price-cost-farm-worker-restaurant-buffalo-2021-6">raise prices</a>.It's too early to see what impact the end of supplemental benefits has had on Florida's employment rate, but business leaders and owners told The Ledger that the labor shortage continued to hurt them."Anywhere you go out into the community, you see help wanted signs and you see businesses doing all types of strategies to encourage people to apply and interview," Cory Skeates, CEO of the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce, told the publication.Ray Sykes, who owns the Italian restaurant Arabellas in Winter Haven, told The Ledger he was still struggling to find staff as more and more people want to dine out. Now the restaurant has cut the number of reservations it takes on weekends and service is slower, Sykes said. He said he had to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mcdonalds-trying-to-hire-teens-with-labor-shortage-2021-8">hire workers still at high school</a> who have little to no experience. Current staff are working overtime, and managers are having to work six days a week, he said.In late August, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chick-fil-a-restaurants-alabama-labor-shortage-closed-dining-rooms-2021-8?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">at least three Chick-fil-A restaurants in Alabama closed their dining rooms</a> because they didn't have enough employees to keep them open, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/labor-shortage-chick-fil-a-closing-early-short-staffing-alabama-2021-8">two more started shutting early</a> "due to extremely short staffing." Some applicants didn't show up to interviews, or accepted roles "only to resign within their first couple weeks," one of the restaurants said.Peter Ricci, head of Florida Atlantic University's hospitality and tourism management program, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/labor-shortage-hotel-hospitality-job-applicants-work-hiring-leo-washington-2021-7">previously told Insider</a> that blaming the tight labor market on supplemental <keyword id="11898807" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="unemployment-benefits" source="Orion">unemployment benefits</keyword> was a short-term view.He said that it actually stemmed from issues "that have been laying low for years." Workers say that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/labor-shortage-hospitality-workers-restaurant-hotels-pay-wages-joblist-survey-2021-7">low pay, bad benefits, and a lack of flexible hours</a> are causing them to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/workers-rage-quitting-jobs-in-a-tightening-labor-market-2021-5?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">quit their jobs in droves</a>. One former bartender <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/software-development-job-switch-work-tech-disney-dancer-chef-bartender-2021-6">told Insider</a> he pivoted to a career in tech so he could work more sociable hours and spend more time with his wife.

Some companies in Florida and Alabama are still struggling to find staff months after the states cut enhanced COVID-19 unemployment benefits

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Office of the Inspector General estimated $39 billion in <keyword id="414451" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="unemployment-benefits">unemployment benefits</keyword> from the <keyword id="9073299" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="cares-act">CARES Act</keyword> were wasted.</li><li>The watchdog cited insufficient staffing and antiquated technologies that failed to detect improper payments.</li><li>GOP-led stated are ending Biden's $300 weekly benefits early to get people back to work.</li></ul>Under the CARES Act in March, Americans received $600 weekly unemployment benefits to help offset the financial strain brought on by the pandemic. But a recent report from the federal watchdog found states had difficulty distributing those benefits and likely ran up $39 billion in improper payments.On May 28, the Office of the Inspector General released a <a href="https://www.oig.dol.gov/public/reports/oa/viewpdf.php?r=19-21-004-03-315&amp;y=20212021">report</a> analyzing how states implemented key <keyword id="156351" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="unemployment-insurance">unemployment insurance</keyword> programs from the CARES Act, including Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC).The report noted that since 2008, unemployment benefits programs have run an improper payment rate of 10%, and if that continues, "at least $39.2 billion in CARES Act funds will have been improperly paid and wasted, instead of benefitting those for whom the new UI [unemployment insurance] programs were intended."It also found that the <keyword id="6451308" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="labor">Labor</keyword> Department's oversight did not ensure states implemented the programs and paid benefits promptly. "As a result, unemployed individuals experienced financial hardships due to delays in receiving benefits," the report said. "As of January 2, 2021, we estimated at least $39.2 billion in improper payments, including fraud, were at risk of not being detected and recovered, and could have been put to better use." Here are the main findings of the report:<ul><li>From the passage of the CARES Act to to the first payment claim, it took on average 50 days for PEUC, 38 days for PUA, and 25 days for FPUC to be distributed;</li><li>40% of states did not perform required crossmatches to detect improper payments;</li><li>42 states did not report overpayments, and</li><li>Of the states that did report, the total amount reported was understated by 89%.</li></ul>The watchdog said the problems with the program were likely due to insufficient staffing levels and antiquated technology that hindered detection of fraudulent payments.While this report analyzed unemployment benefits distribution under President Donald <keyword id="6354862" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="trump">Trump</keyword>, it comes at a time when an <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/republican-states-cutting-unemployment-benefits-expanded-300-weekly-biden-stimulus-2021-5">increasing number</a> of GOP-led states are ending President Joe Biden's $300 weekly benefits early following a weak April jobs report, with the argument that the benefits disincentivize work. However, Insider <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/may-jobs-report-strong-despite-enhanced-ui-gop-cut-2021-6">reported</a> last week that May saw an <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/may-jobs-report-559000-payrolls-unemployment-rate-recovery-labor-market-2021-6">increase</a> in payrolls, and that data was collected before the benefit cuts went into effect, suggesting they might not be discouraging work as much as Republicans argue.Some Democrats are even pushing for continued unemployment benefits tied to economic activity beyond the pandemic, although Biden <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-indicates-federal-unemployment-benefit-expiration-september-2021-6">said</a> in a speech on Friday that while the benefits have been effective thus far, "it makes sense" for them to expire in September."A temporary boost in unemployment benefits that we enacted helped people who lost their jobs through no fault of their own, and who still may be in the process of getting vaccinated," the president said in brief remarks following the May jobs report. "But it's going to expire in 90 days - it makes sense it expires in 90 days."

$39 billion of stimulus unemployment benefits were likely wasted by inefficient state governments, watchdog finds

<ul class="summary-list"><li>While interviewing House Speaker <keyword id="128640" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Nancy-Pelosi">Nancy Pelosi</keyword> on live television, <keyword id="51916" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Cnbc">CNBC</keyword>'s <keyword id="295596" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Jim-Cramer">Jim Cramer</keyword> accidentally refers to her as "Crazy Nancy," a pejorative term used by President Donald Trump.</li><li>After Cramer used the term, he immediately said that he was using the words of the president and that he held a high regard for the office of the speaker.</li><li>Cramer said that he "would never use that term," but Pelosi responded with a laugh and said, "You just did."</li><li>Pelosi was appearing on CNBC to discuss updates on pending <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> relief legislation that has been stalled, with major spending disagreements between Democrats and Republicans.</li></ul>While interviewing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on live television, CNBC's Jim Cramer accidentally referred to her as "Crazy Nancy," a derogatory term frequently used against her by President Donald Trump.Cramer, who immediately backtracked, said that he was using the president's words and not his and reiterated that he respected her position."What deal can we have, Crazy Nancy?" Cramer said. "I'm sorry, that was the president, I have such reverence for the office I would never use that term."Pelosi responded with a laugh, saying, "but you just did...but you just did.""You know what I mean," Cramer said. " You know what I mean. The reverence I have for the office is so great.""Anything that the president says is a projection of his own insecurities," Pelosi added. "He calls other people crazy because he knows he is."<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—The Recount (@therecount) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1305890820659216384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2020</a></blockquote>Pelosi, a California Democrat, was speaking to Cramer about pending coronavirus relief legislation that has been stalled in Congress for weeks. The appetite for spending between the Democratic-led House and Trump administration officials like Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and White House Chief of State Mark Meadows, who are key negotiators for the White House and are working with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, still remains wide.There have been several proposals floated for coronavirus relief since late July, when a federal pandemic unemployment compensation (FPUC) benefit expired that had provided $600 per week to people collecting unemployment. At the time, the two parties were <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/08/trump-executive-actions-coronavirus-relief-392715">more than $1 trillion apart</a> in <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/2020/07/31/second-coronavirus-stimulus-checks-schools-how-proposals-differ/5528514002/">their proposals</a>. Since then, the president <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-coronavirus-relief-executive-actions-face-legal-battles-other-challenges-2020-8">signed executive orders</a> on unemployment insurance, evictions and foreclosures, the payroll tax, and student loans, but there haven't been any direct <keyword id="45304" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Stimulus">stimulus</keyword> payments issued since earlier this year and the FPUC benefit is still expired.On Tuesday, a bipartisan group of lawmakers <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bipartisan-house-lawmakers-unveil-stimulus-plan-unemployment-economy-2020-9">unveiled</a> a new $1.5 trillion stimulus plan that included a second round of $1,200 checks and the reinstatement of federal unemployment benefits.Before ending the interview, Cramer once again tried to make amends with Pelosi."You know I was being facetious when I used the term involving you," Cramer said. "Of course I do," Pelosi responded, with a smile.

On CNBC, host Jim Cramer accidentally says 'Crazy Nancy' to Nancy Pelosi on air

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A new report from the Minneapolis Fed looks at how long it took states to put out <keyword id="6358907" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="unemployment">unemployment</keyword>.</li><li>In August 2020, only half of states were making over half of their payments promptly.</li><li>While the situation has improved somewhat, it shows continued strain on UI systems.</li></ul>Throughout the pandemic, unemployment insurance and its pandemic-era expansions helped jobless workers pay their bills during a crisis - that is, if they received their funds in time.It's no secret that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-states-unemployment-insurance-programs-ended-in-disaster-2020-9">states struggled</a> to get payments out to recipients. A <a href="https://www.minneapolisfed.org/article/2021/what-did-and-didnt-work-in-unemployment-insurance-during-the-pandemic#_ftn7">new report</a> from Tyler Boesch, Ryan Nunn, and Katherine Lim at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis looks at just how timely states were in sending checks to their jobless residents. The results, in some cases, were unacceptably low by Department of Labor standards.<h2>August 2020 was the worst month for getting payments out the door in a timely manner</h2>The report finds that, in August, just "half of states made at least 54 percent of payments within 21 days." The DOL says that the "acceptable level of performance" is at least 87% of first payments in 21 days.Indeed, the report shows that the median percentage of payments hovered below the DOL standard since May 2020. Payments hit a timeliness peak in April 2021, with half of states making at least 80% of their payments. Even so, that meant that a good chunk of residents in those states assistance may not have received their benefits on time. <h2>Unemployed people in different states had vastly varied experiences</h2>When the CARES Act put in place FPUC benefits - those additional $600 weekly - some jobless workers started receiving them far more quickly than others. Just half of the states began making those payments in 17 days. If you were in Illinois, the first payments went out in 10 days; in Wisconsin, it took upwards of a month, with payments going out after 33 days. And then there was Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (<keyword id="1262714" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Pua">PUA</keyword>). That program expanded who was eligible for benefits, bringing gig workers and self-employed workers into the fold. But if you applied for it, your location may have dictated how quickly you got your checks. For instance, if you were in Texas, the first payments started releasing 16 days afte the program was enacted. But Kentucky residents waited months, with first payments going out after 77 days.That gap persists: In May 2021, Ohio was only making 34% of first payments promptly.<h2>Unemployment insurance was wildly important during the pandemic, but also showed system flaws</h2>The report notes that "UI payments constituted vital support for families, for the overall <keyword id="34412" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="economy">economy</keyword>, and for the public health mission of enabling workers to avoid COVID-19 exposure during some of the worst months of the pandemic." <a href="https://www.urban.org/research/publication/2021-poverty-projections-assessing-impact-benefits-and-stimulus-measures">Research</a> from the Urban Institute found that emergency relief programs - which includes the expanded unemployment insurance and stimulus checks - helped <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chart-us-government-pandemic-aid-cut-poverty-by-nearly-half-2021-7">nearly halve poverty</a> from 2018 levels.And the Fed report says that the creation of PUA "represents another substantial achievement." That program made up the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/unemployment-benefits-made-up-more-of-peoples-incomes-during-pandemic-2021-4">greatest share</a> of federal UI distributed by the end of 2020, according to a <a href="https://www.epi.org/blog/new-personal-income-data-show-the-need-for-broad-and-permanent-unemployment-insurance-reform/">report</a> from the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute.Some politicians <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/unemployment-insurance-permanent-expansion-benefits-top-democrats-call-biden-reform-2021-4">have seized</a> on the widespread adoption of PUA - which is set to wind down in September - as an argument to permanently reform UI. Sens. Ron Wyden of Oregon and Michael Bennet of Colorado <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/senate-democrats-unemployment-benefits-congress-wyden-bennet-benefits-2021-4">bundled</a> their "jobseeker allowance" - which would give bonuses to the same type of workers receiving PUA - with modernizing UI infrastructure.President Joe Biden's initial infrastructure proposal included a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-unemployment-reform-american-families-no-money-specifics-wage-replacement-2021-4">nod towards reforming UI</a>, but did not include any concrete proposals or funding.The report concludes: "As the pandemic demonstrated, it can be difficult or impossible to predict the next recession, making it all the more urgent to bolster the resilience and capacity of UI systems before they are tested again."

People in half the country got unemployment checks 'unacceptably' slowly last summer, Fed report finds

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Sen. <keyword id="257375" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Lindsey-Graham">Lindsey Graham</keyword>, a <keyword id="52532" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="south-carolina">South Carolina</keyword> Republican, said that he and his colleague Sen. Tim Scott would allow a $600 per week pandemic unemployment benefit to extend past July "over our dead bodies."</li><li>Graham and Scott appeared at an April 29 meeting for accelerateSC, the governor's task force dedicated to reopening the state's economy during the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> crisis.</li><li>The CARES Act provides three types of coronavirus-related unemployment benefits, including an additional $600 per week in funds for people who are unemployed because of the coronavirus known as Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, or FPUC.</li><li>Graham and Scott argued that giving people increased unemployment benefits would incentivize them to stay home rather than return to work, therefore slowing South Carolina's economic recovery.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said that <keyword id="1575" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Congress">Congress</keyword> would only extend a $600 unemployment benefits provided in the CARES Act "over our dead bodies" after its July expiration.His remarks came the day that the United States passed 60,000 deaths caused by the coronavirus, by far the greatest reported death toll in the world.The senator made the remarks while appearing on an April 29 panel for accelerateSC, the coronavirus task force created by Gov. Henry McMaster to examine ways to revitalize the state's economy. He was joined by his fellow Republican senator from South Carolina, Tim Scott."I promise you over our dead bodies will this get reauthorized," Graham said of himself Scott's opposition to government spending on unemployment. "We've got to stop this. You cannot turn on the economy, until you get this aberration of the law of fixed."<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TIYkK-93VkM?start=9924" frameborder="0"></iframe>The CARES Act, passed by Congress in late March, provided emergency benefits to Americans who had lost their job because of the coronavirus outbreak. The law includes <a href="https://www.uc.pa.gov/COVID-19/CARES-Act/Pages/default.aspx">"Pandemic Unemployment Compensation"</a> funds (FPUC), which grant people $600 per week on top of their regular unemployment benefits until July 25. Separately, the law also bolsters unemployment funds issued by individual states and makes more people eligible for the benefits.Under regular circumstances in South Carolina, <a href="https://dew.sc.gov/individuals/apply-for-benefits">unemployment insurance lasts up to 20 weeks</a>, and the average weekly benefit amount is $236. The maximum benefit is $326. In South Carolina, people who lost their jobs because of the coronavirus through no fault of their own <a href="https://dew.sc.gov/docs/default-source/covid-19/ui-during-covid-19.pdf?sfvrsn=b653150c_6">are eligible for all three types of CARES Act expanded unemployment benefits.</a>Proponents argued that the funds were necessary to shore up Americans' finances after social distancing and stay-at-home orders closed non-essential businesses, causing widespread job losses and furloughs. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-weekly-jobless-claims-unemployment-filings-labor-market-recession-coronavirus-2020-4">Roughly 30 million people have filed for unemployment over the last six weeks.</a>Healthcare experts have warned that social distancing measures will need to remain in effect, to some degree, for several months, and may need to be loosed or tightened depending on the state of the outbreak. Americans to a large extent are still being urged to work from home whenever possible, and not to travel for work unless they are an essential worker.But Graham and Scott believed that these additional unemployment benefits would incentivize people to stay at home rather than return to work, to the detriment of small business owners."The goal is to help people who are unemployed, to make sure that if they get unemployed, they'll have their income intact, but it was never our goal to pay people more to be out of work than at work," Graham added during a question-and-answer session, arguing that "if a person is making $23 an hour on unemployment it's going to be hard to get you go back to work for $17 hour job.""If your job is available to you please go back, the economy needs you back," Graham said.Scott said he had spoken to employers in South Carolina who said they had difficulty bringing people back to work because they couldn't "compete" with the unemployment stipends."Bringing those folks back to work is creating frustration among their employees," Scott said. "The tension is real."Graham said he and Scott would oppose any extension of the additional unemployment benefits in upcoming legislation considered by Congress."I will never let this happen again with my vote," Graham said.Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lindsey-graham-congress-coronavirus-unemployment-benefit-over-our-dead-bodies-2020-4">Business Insider</a>

'Over our dead bodies:' Lindsey Graham vows Congress won't extend additional $600 coronavirus-related unemployment benefits, as U.S. death toll crosses the 60,000 mark

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="1575" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Congress">Congress</keyword> is scrambling to pass an emergency relief package this week as the economy shows signs of strain.</li><li>Around 13 million people stand to lose all jobless aid if lawmakers fail to renew certain federal programs.</li><li>A bipartisan group of lawmakers unveiled a plan on Tuesday that could aid unemployed people with new $300 <keyword id="10321154" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="federal-unemployment-benefits">federal unemployment benefits</keyword> and an extension of another program covering gig workers.</li></ul>Nearly 13 million Americans could lose all their jobless aid at the end of the month if Congress doesn't renew federal unemployment programs that it set up in the spring.Lawmakers in both parties are scrambling this week to enact another emergency relief package before adjourning until January. A bipartisan group of largely centrist senators on Monday unveiled a $748 billion package that could aid unemployed people going into next year.Here are 3 of its key provisions for the unemployed:<ul><li>$300 weekly enhanced <keyword id="156351" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="unemployment-insurance">unemployment insurance</keyword> for 16 weeks from the end of December until April 19, 2021.</li><li>An 16-week extension of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance for gig workers until April 19.</li><li>Extra 16 weeks until April 19 in Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, which provides payouts to people whose state benefits have dried up.</li></ul>This part of the federal rescue package could either be approved by Congress or attached to a year-end annual $1.4 trillion spending bill that would keep the government funded until early next year. Lawmakers have until midnight Friday to approve another spending bill or many parts of the government would start shutting down.Other parts of the package could also provide critical relief to out-of-work Americans. The legislation also proposes extending the eviction moratorium set to lapse on December 31 for an extra month while providing $25 billion in rental assistance for people who fell behind on their rent payments.The National Low Income Housing Coalition, an advocacy group, <a href="https://nlihc.org/news/statement-nlihc-bipartisan-agreement-emergency-relief-renters-and-urgency-bill-passage">said in a statement on Tuesday</a> that President-elect Joe Biden could extend the moratorium once he's in office.But the crawling pace of relief negotiations may guarantee millions of unemployed people lose their federal aid for a period of time, experts say, since unemployment systems are difficult to readjust."Even if a deal passes this week, we're looking at a lapse in UI for many many workers and a lag in paying out an FPUC top-off if there is one," Elizabeth Pancotti, a policy advisor at Employ America, <a href="https://twitter.com/ENPancotti/status/1338655006849982466?s=20">wrote on Twitter</a>, referring the formal name for federal unemployment benefits."4 million workers have exhausted UI already. There's another 9 million waiting in the wings for the next two weeks. Getting those folks back in a system with a faulty foundation (at best) isn't an overnight thing," <a href="https://twitter.com/ENPancotti/status/1338655512158728196?s=20">she said in a follow-up tweet.</a>

Here are 3 ways the $748 billion stimulus package could aid millions of unemployed Americans

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Around 7.5 million Americans lost their <keyword id="11898807" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="unemployment-benefits" source="Orion">unemployment benefits</keyword> over the weekend.</li><li>The end of federal pandemic-era <keyword id="11898806" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="unemployment" source="Orion">unemployment</keyword> marks one of the biggest fiscal cliffs ever.</li><li>Many workers say it's too early as Delta rages, but federal and local governments aren't stepping up.</li></ul>A least 7.5 million Americans lost all their federal unemployment benefits on Monday as Congress and President Joe Biden allowed key federal initiatives to end. That cut-off is one of the biggest shutdowns of federal benefits in the last 20 years.Among the programs ending are <keyword id="11940352" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="pandemic-unemployment-assistance" source="Orion">Pandemic Unemployment Assistance</keyword> (<keyword id="11940351" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="pua" source="Orion">PUA</keyword>), which expanded eligibility for benefits to gig workers and self-employed workers among others. Another is Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), which provides benefits after workers have exhausted the weeks their state provides. Finally, there's Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), which gives workers that additional $300 weekly. As of the week <a href="https://www.dol.gov/ui/data.pdf">ending August 14</a>, there were 5,413,238 continued claims for PUA, and 3,800,000 for PEUC.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-Joseph Zeballos-Roig (@josephzeballos) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1432338273884590083">August 30, 2021</a></blockquote>The benefits are ending at a perilous stretch of the pandemic. Cases and hospitalizations from the Delta variant are on the climb, potentially dissuading people from returning to work and heightening concerns among experts about a setback to the economic recovery. The Biden administration had aimed to quell the pandemic by summer and move forward on its push to revamp American infrastructure with a pair of spending plans. But the emergence of the Delta variant has thrown that off. Hospitalizations among people 50 and under are reaching record highs, <a href="https://twitter.com/JuliaRaifman/status/1432772253188567045?s=20">according to</a> Julia Raifman, an associate professor at Boston University.Many unemployed workers who have relied on the benefits as a much-needed lifeline over the last year are worried about their prospects amid the new coronavirus wave. "Delta is spreading like wildfire," Lois Prew, a 50-year-old in Massachusetts who had been working as a dishwasher prior to the pandemic, told Insider. She added that unemployment has a disproportionate impact on women, since many have had to leave the workforce to care for children or elders. "With Delta, some schools are going to hybrid learning or other schools are going back to virtual. Everything is just up in the air." <div type="image" title="Lois Prew taking a selfie" height="1739" width="2319" msid="85977249" hostid="261"></div>For Amanda Rinehart, a mother in Pennsylvania, vaccinations are one barrier from returning to work. Her child is high-risk for COVID-19, she <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/unemployment-benefits-pennsylvania-mom-losing-in-september-delta-fears-kids-2021-8">previously told Insider</a>, and he's too young to get vaccinated. That means she'll continue to supervise his virtual learning - and stay home instead of at the job she loves.Not every worker will lose all of their benefits right away. Around 10 million are estimated to continue receiving payments, but even they face sharp cuts when the additional $300 weekly supplement ends, the left-leaning People's Policy Project <a href="https://www.peoplespolicyproject.org/2021/07/27/in-41-days-20-million-americans-will-lose-ui-benefits/">projects</a>."Instead of every two weeks at $1054, I'll be at like $455, something in that area every two weeks," Rashed Marshall, a 65-year-old former Uber driver and cancer survivor in Illinois, told Insider. He stopped working in March 2020, when his doctor told him to pause over his health. Now, his benefits will be slashed by about half. "That half is going to hurt."He added: "With that extra money, I've been able to live, not just survive, but just live just a little bit." Marshall isn't alone in that sentiment: The beefed-up benefits <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/expanded-unemployment-benefits-ending-labor-day-americans-lives-were-changed-2021-8">have allowed</a> some Americans to change their lives for the better, whether that's returning to school, or starting their own businesses. <div type="image" title="Rashed Marshall in his car" height="1080" width="1440" msid="85977251" hostid="261"></div>Lawmakers in Congress aren't likely to renew the programs anytime soon. Republicans are staunchly opposed to the beefed-up payments, arguing it's keeping people from seeking out jobs.But emerging <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cutting-off-unemployment-hurts-states-did-not-help-employment-research-2021-9">research</a> indicates it's a smaller factor compared to the impact of school closures or lack of childcare. And some unemployed workers-turned-activists <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pua-unemployment-benefits-ending-extension-new-york-activist-stephanie-freed-2021-9">argue</a> that the widespread adoption of benefits merits both an extension and permanent reform.Now, though, the experiment with a strong safety net and a higher wage <keyword id="11893570" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="economy" source="Orion">economy</keyword> is coming to an end.President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-indicates-federal-unemployment-benefit-expiration-september-2021-6">said in early June</a> it "makes sense" for the bulked-up federal payments to end in September after a robust jobs report; that comes just months after the president <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-labor-shortage-solution-pay-workers-more-job-market-hiring-2021-6">said</a> the solution to the labor shortage was to "pay them more." The Biden administration <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-states-can-extend-unemployment-benefits-beyond-september-expiration-biden-2021-8">recently encouraged</a> states to tap into leftover stimulus money from the $1.9 trillion rescue plan to continue unemployment payments, but there's no indication <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/is-unemployment-going-to-be-extended-probably-not-in-states-2021-8">any will extend the benefits</a> on their own. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/white-house-psaki-biden-federal-jobless-aid-congress-democrats-2021-8">wasn't going to prod</a> lawmakers to back an extension, citing the economic rebound."I'm very, very angry because this is an attempt, in my opinion, to force us all back to work in low paying jobs, like in hospitality and retail, where people are treated like garbage by customers and by the companies they work for, where their work schedules change at the very last minute," Prew said. "It's incredibly difficult for parents to find care at the last minute for their children."

7.5 million workers just lost their unemployment benefits and Biden didn't step in: 'I'm very, very angry because this is an attempt, in my opinion, to force us all back to work in low paying jobs'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A number of critical COVID-19 economic relief programs will expire at the end of the year, threatening the stability of the US economy as the country enters an uncertain 2021.</li><li>After the <keyword id="9073299" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="cares-act">CARES Act</keyword> passed in March, stimulus gridlock has largely ensued, with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin working with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. </li><li>From eviction moratoriums to a resumption in student loan payments, a lot is on the line if lawmakers don't reach an agreement on additional stimulus measures.</li></ul>A number of critical COVID-19 economic relief programs will expire at the end of the year, which could force millions off of unemployment insurance, push many small businesses to permanently close, and raise the specter of mass evictions. This could threaten the stability of the US economy as the country enters an uncertain 2021.In March, during the early days of the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> pandemic, the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, easily passed both houses of Congress with bipartisan support, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/senate-passes-coronavirus-economic-relief-bill-payments-small-business-loans-2020-3">providing a lifeline</a> to recently laid-off employees and businesses that were forced to close due to COVID-related shutdowns.However, this legislative comity quickly dissipated as the pandemic wore on. The $3 trillion Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act, or HEROES Act, which followed the CARES Act, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/house-passes-coronavirus-relief-bill-dubbed-heroes-act-2020-5">passed in the US House of Representatives</a> in May, but was stymied in the Senate. While Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi championed the bill, GOP Senate Majority Mitch McConnell deemed it as too expensive.Stimulus gridlock has largely ensued ever since, with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin working with Pelosi and McConnell for months with little progress.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pelosi-stimulus-negotiations-deal-republicans-bill-economy-agreement-optimistic-2020-10">Pelosi wants a $2.2 trillion stimulus</a> package, while <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stimulus-coronavirus-senate-mcconnell-500-billion-vote-2020-10">McConnell has sought a $500 billion</a> plan, but the leaders have not hashed out a compromise. Nor have their staffs worked together to forge any consensus on a potential bill. On November 19, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mnuchin-funnel-unspent-stimulus-money-small-businesses-extend-unemployment-2020-11">Mnuchin expressed his desire</a> to have $580 billion in unspent stimulus funds redirected to small businesses and to extend unemployment benefits. It is unclear if this will occur, however, as it requires Congressional approval."We need this money to go help small businesses that are still closed or hurt, no fault of their own," Mnuchin said last week. "Or people who are gonna be on unemployment that's running out."With President Donald Trump refusing to approve and coordinate transition efforts with President-elect Joe Biden, exacerbated by the continued stimulus-related legislative impasse, there is a huge potential for dire economic problems for Americans if program extensions are not made in the next few weeks.These events have all happened <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/at-least-250000-americans-have-already-died-from-covid-19-2020-11">while at least 250,000 American citizens have died of the coronavirus</a>, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, a once-unthinkable statistic.Here are some of the COVID-19 economic relief programs that will be impacted on or close to December 31:<h3>Extended unemployment insurance</h3>On December 31, the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, or PEUC, will expire. This economic relief program extended traditional unemployment benefits from the standard 26 weeks to 39 weeks. Self-employed and gig economy workers can collect state unemployment benefits through December 31, but that will also expire under the CARES Act.<div type="image" title="unemployment" height="1280" width="2111" msid="79355923" hostid="261"></div>According to a study by the Century Foundation, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/millions-could-lose-unemployment-aid-by-december-without-coronavirus-stimulus-2020-11">roughly 12 million people will lose their unemployment benefits</a> on December 26 if no Congressional action is taken to forge a compromise <keyword id="41832" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Stimulus-bill">stimulus bill</keyword>.At the end of July, the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, or FPUC, expired, which provided a federally funded $600 weekly supplemental boost to state unemployment payments. This was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/08/business/economy/lost-unemployment-benefits.html">a huge economic lifeline</a> for millions of Americans. However, that program expired, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gop-unemployment-benefit-system-plan-states-change-rollout-stimulus-replacement-2020-7">largely due to Republican opposition</a> over the payments being too generous, and it has not been extended.<h3>Eviction moratoriums</h3>With extended unemployment benefits on the line and millions looking for new jobs, many have fallen behind on rent and mortgage payments. By the end of the year, this could set off a wave of new evictions and homelessness, all during what could be <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-third-coronavirus-surge-is-tsunami-comparison-spring-summer-2020-11">some of the most difficult days</a> of the coronavirus pandemic.The <a href="https://www.census.gov/data/experimental-data-products/household-pulse-survey.html">Census Household Pulse Survey</a>, taken during late October and early November, presented an ominous message, with 32.9% of households indicating they were behind on rent or mortgage payments, and 25.9% of respondents expecting a loss in income over the next month. The data also showed that 12% of respondents revealed having food insecurity, meaning they were unable to provide enough healthy food for their household due to a lack of resources.An analysis conducted by Stout <a href="https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiNzRhYjg2NzAtMGE1MC00NmNjLTllOTMtYjM2NjFmOTA4ZjMyIiwidCI6Ijc5MGJmNjk2LTE3NDYtNGE4OS1hZjI0LTc4ZGE5Y2RhZGE2MSIsImMiOjN9">revealed that roughly 6.4 million evictions</a> could take effect at the beginning of the year.<h3>Student loan <keyword id="2271385" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Forbearance">forbearance</keyword></h3>The pandemic-related student loan forbearance, which has allowed millions to redirect much-needed money to critical expenses, is expiring at the end of the year. The forbearance halted additional interest costs and penalties for millions of borrowers.Ending the forbearance during a pandemic will force millions to begin making payments once again, which could potentially slow down any economic growth.Biden is being urged by many to extend student loan protections once he takes office, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-presidency-student-loan-debt-forgiveness-plan-2020-11">he has himself proposed $10,000 in debt relief</a> as part of coronavirus-related aid.Many Democrats are also urging the president-elect to take executive action on student loan debt once he's in office, but it is unclear if he will do so. The prospect of a potential GOP-controlled Senate <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/21/can-joe-biden-forgive-student-debt-without-congress-experts-weigh-in.html">would make this proposition more likely</a>, as Republicans have generally been firmly opposed to any sort of student loan debt cancelation. <h3>State and local government aid for 2021</h3><a href="https://www.forbes.com/advisor/personal-finance/biden-reminded-us-that-states-are-in-big-trouble-heres-whats-at-stake/">Municipal governments have struggled</a> under the weight of economic losses, from leaner tax receipts to fewer riders on public transportation. According to The New York Times, the New York City subway <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/18/nyregion/nyc-mta-budget-cuts.html">may even have to reduce its service by 40%</a> if it doesn't receive some form of federal aid, with deep budget holes brought on by the massive ridership decline since March.The coronavirus pandemic has deeply impacted funding for first-responders, teachers, firemen, and police officers, the very people who have been on the front lines.State and local government funding <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nancy-pelosi-white-house-stimulus-offer-deficiencies-republican-criticism-checks-2020-10">has been a big sticking point</a> during Congressional stimulus negotiations, with Pelosi favoring increased aid while McConnell has generally been in opposition. Without increased funding, many municipal workers could potentially be laid off by the end of the year.

You Searched For "fpuc" and got 12 results

The owner of a Minnesota job agency said interviews shot up 60% before enhanced unemployment benefits expired

Grace Dean

Florida's governor says the state's unemployment system was set up to 'pay out the least number of claims' and discourage people seeking benefits

Joseph Zeballos-Roig

GOP states cutting $300 unemployment benefits early will cost local economies $12 billion because people will have less money to spend, a bipartisan congressional committee said

Grace Dean

10 Florida residents sue state governor Ron DeSantis for ending $300 unemployment benefits 2 months early

Grace Dean

Some companies in Florida and Alabama are still struggling to find staff months after the states cut enhanced COVID-19 unemployment benefits

Grace Dean

$39 billion of stimulus unemployment benefits were likely wasted by inefficient state governments, watchdog finds

Ayelet Sheffey

On CNBC, host Jim Cramer accidentally says 'Crazy Nancy' to Nancy Pelosi on air

John L. Dorman

People in half the country got unemployment checks 'unacceptably' slowly last summer, Fed report finds

Juliana Kaplan

'Over our dead bodies:' Lindsey Graham vows Congress won't extend additional $600 coronavirus-related unemployment benefits, as U.S. death toll crosses the 60,000 mark

Kayla Epstein

Here are 3 ways the $748 billion stimulus package could aid millions of unemployed Americans

Joseph Zeballos-Roig

7.5 million workers just lost their unemployment benefits and Biden didn't step in: 'I'm very, very angry because this is an attempt, in my opinion, to force us all back to work in low paying jobs'

Juliana Kaplan,Joseph Zeballos-Roig

Many stimulus programs are due to expire at the end of 2020, threatening the US economy during the COVID-19 pandemic's most challenging phase

John L. Dorman