What will happen to Ohio jobs now that the extra $300 unemployment is gone? – By Alexander Coolidge (Cincinnati Enquirer) / June 27 2021
Starting this week, Ohioans without a job won’t get $300 extra in unemployment benefits after Gov. Mike DeWine announced last month he would opt out of enhanced federal pandemic benefits designed to prop up the COVID-19-battered economy.
The extra money was cut off after Saturday. The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, which handles unemployment, said it would continue to pay the money on all eligible claims for weeks up to and including June 26, but not after.
The reason? Many business groups and Republican leaders fear theongoing rebound could choke on a mounting labor shortage. They believe legions of workers benched by the new coronavirus are choosing to stay home on their fatter unemployment checks. The additional $300 nearly doubles the average weekly jobless benefit paid in Ohio.
Ohio’s solution follows the lead of other Republican-led states that hope to incentivize workers back on the job by cutting off the extra money.
