Soon, Ohio will stop participating in a program that provides an additional $300 in federal aid to those collecting unemployment in the state.
Ohio will discontinue its participation in the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program on June 26, Governor Mike DeWine said during his briefing Thursday.
“This assistance was always intended to be temporary,” DeWine said, adding that the program has become a burden to some.
The program was first implemented to aid in pandemic response and help unemployed Americans at the height of the pandemic. Under the plan, claimants could receive $300 in federal weekly unemployment assistance.
DeWine said he’s heard concerns from employers who are having a difficult time finding people to hire.
You can watch his full briefing here:
The Ohio Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Andrew Doehrel released a statement in response, saying:
“The Ohio Chamber of Commerce strongly endorses Gov. DeWine’s decision to eliminate the $300 per week federal unemployment bonus. Making this decision now is the right thing to do and will bolster Ohio’s economic recovery.
The Buckeye State’s economy is showing strength coming out of the pandemic, but Ohio businesses desperately need workers to continue the positive upward trajectory. As a state, we must get rid of obstacles to returning to work and the governor’s actions will do exactly that.
Ohio’s businesses have proven that their places of employment are safe and thanks to Gov. DeWine and Lt. Gov. Husted vaccines are widely available to anyone who wants one, so workers should be encouraged to return to work.”
