South Carolina cuts federal unemployment boost from weekly payments

[TexasTowelie]

COLUMBIA — South Carolina will leave the federal unemployment programs providing extra money to jobless residents in light of “unprecedented” workforce shortages across the state, Gov. Henry McMaster announced on Thursday.

The state will opt out of the coronavirus pandemic assistance programs beginning June 30. The federal benefits include an extra weekly $300 to unemployed workers that was scheduled to run through early September.

The labor shortage has affected all areas of the state’s economy, state government officials said, with the hotel and food service industries especially hard-hit. McMaster claimed the shortage was created in large part due to the supplemental federal payments.

“In many instances, these payments are greater than the worker’s previous pay checks,” McMaster said in a statement. “What was intended to be a short-term financial assistance for the vulnerable and displaced during the height of the pandemic has turned into a dangerous federal entitlement, incentivizing and paying workers to stay at home rather than encouraging them to return to the workplace.”

Read more: https://triblive.com/news/politics-election/south-carolina-cuts-federal-unemployment-boost-from-weekly-payments/
(Pittsburgh Tribune Review)

[SWBTATTReg]

1. Maybe pay people a living wage and you wouldn't have this problem?

[marble falls]

3. Beyond stupid, it is terribly meanspirited and heartlessly cruel. We need to get rid of ...

... "minimum wage" and talk about nothing but living wage. If work is worth having other people do it, it's worth paying a fair living wage for it. Like you point out - it's not the benefits that's the problem here, it's wages in general.

[OAITW r.2.0]

2. OK, we can use the money in blue states.

I have no problems with this. Maybe all Republican states will forgo Federal money. I am sure they have good reasons why to explain to their constituents. Also, cut more taxes and hire more morons to destroy your state government. There must be hundreds of progressive laws to repeal that have been passed since the civil war.