May 20, 2021 Group Watch: Ivey Ending Extra Unemployment Benefits; Biz Owners Relieved
On June 19, Alabama is pulling the plug on federal boosts to unemployment, including the extra $300 a week for those collecting benefits. In parts of the state, “Now Hiring” signs aren’t hard to find, which is one of the reasons Ivey announced she is putting a stop to the additional unemployment. The pandemic unemployment programs mean people in Alabama have been getting up to $575 a week in unemployment for up to 54 weeks due to the pandemic as opposed to the standard benefits capping out at $275 a week for 14 weeks. The Alabama Department of Labor has paid out more than $5 billion in claims in the last year, which is more money than the last 12 years combined with the help of federal dollars. The Alabama Department of Labor will continue paying out the additional $300 a week for new claims filed before June 19. The state’s unemployment rate is 3.8 percent, the lowest in the Southeast.
