UNDATED (Wisconsin Radio Network-WSAU) Congressional Democrats and Republicans failed to agree over the weekend on a new coronavirus stimulus package. The sticking point is additional federal unemployment benefits. Payments of $600 per week expired on August 1st. Republicans favor a smaller among of $200 per week.
U-S Senator Ron Johnson (Wisconsin0R) is concerned,that people may be incentivized to not get back to work. “It’s nobody’s fault that they’re unemployed right now. This is because of COVID. And we want to help. But depending on which study you look at, either 68% or five out of six individuals, according to CBO, are making more on unemployment than they did on their job.”
Johnson said many people don’t want to return to work until their benefits run out. “That’s a reverse incentive to keep people out of the economy, and we need people to come back into the economy… I think we want to help people financially, but we have to do it at an appropriate level so they’re incentivized to get back into the work force.”
Johnson, speaking on WISN’s UpFront program Sunday, said overwhelmed state unemployment agencies aren’t checking to see whether recipients are searching for work, which is a requirement to get benefits.
Wisconsin has had a persistent backlog in processing unemployment claims, with many jobless residents still waiting to get benefits.
