18 states ending additional unemployment benefits, impacting over 2 million Americans
Some states are ending federal aid to workers, which will result in over 2 million Americans losing their unemployment benefits, months before it’s scheduled to end, according to reports.
Workers in 18 states, all led by Republican governors, will no longer have access to the additional $300 weekly supplement to unemployment.
Some states are ending the assistance as early as June 12. The American Rescue Plan offers the additional aid until September 6.
The states include Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.
Texas’ decision will reportedly impact over 1.3 million workers, according to Business Insider.
“The Texas economy is booming and employers are hiring in communities throughout the state,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement.
State officials have cited a worker shortage as a reason to end their states’ participation in the program.
“It’s a very drastic move to pull out of this type of program,” a senior fellow at The Century Foundation, Andrew Stettner, told CNBC.