USA Today: These 9 states will end participation in unemployment assistance programs. Their reasons vary.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee informed the United States Department of Labor Tuesday, joining Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, and South Carolina in ending state participation in federal unemployment programs.
“Families, businesses and our economy thrive when we focus on meaningful employment and move on from short-term, federal fixes," Lee said in a statement. The assistance program will end in June.
Officials in the nine states blame the extended unemployment benefits created by the American Rescue Plan for creating a labor shortage.
However, the article later cites that the extended unemployment benefits have not had a significant negative effect on the numbers searching for jobs. Instead, what we may really be seeing is a shifting of priorities among those searching for jobs. Some on unemployment are, admittedly and justifiably, afraid to go back to work because the pandemic is NOT over and they do not want to get sick. Last I heard, none of these nine states are doing that great of a job containing the coronavirus. Others have have decided to care for their children for the time being. This includes those that have had children after the pandemic began. Meanwhile, those searching for jobs are looking to go back to something better than what they had before the pandemic (if they have not done so already), and better is, in my opinion, not being insulted, harassed, possibly assaulted, and paid poorly in those job sectors that supposedly have a “hard time hiring” right now. To note, I am among those that are unemployed and searching for a job, and it’s reprehensible how little workplaces are still willing to pay their workers for their services. Like someone said on this website in the past, many employers expect diamond quality at cubic zirconia prices.
Yet again, Republicans are lying through their goddamn teeth, surprise surprise, and their lies are justifying their cruelty to the unemployed. It’s despicable, and we must not let slave-driving Republicans control the narrative.