Naples, FL — In today’s weekly unemployment claims report from the U.S. Department of Labor, initial claims in states opting out of federal unemployment bonus programs decreased by 9.3 percent, while initial claims in states continuing the bonus increased by 2.3 percent.
Opt-out states also saw a 12.6 percent decrease in the number of people on unemployment, while states continuing the bonus barely saw any change in the same metric. Since the beginning of June, opt-out states have seen the number of people on unemployment drop at nearly double the rate of those states continuing the bonus.
“States opting out of the unemployment bonus are cycling individuals off of unemployment and back into the workforce,” said Hayden Dublois, Senior Research Analyst at FGA. “The weekly unemployment claims report continues to demonstrate that ending the unemployment bonus is a boon to state economies. As we approach September, it is vital that lawmakers ensure these federal unemployment bonus programs expire on time and are not extended in any way.”
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The Foundation for Government Accountability is a non-profit, multi-state think tank that specializes in health care, welfare, and work reform. To learn more, visit TheFGA.org
