Another Million Americans Filed for Unemployment Benefits as Congress Stalls on COVID Relief Package

Another million Americans filed for unemployment benefits for the first time as the economy continues to struggle amid the coronavirus pandemic.

For the week ending Aug. 22, initial U.S. jobless claims totaled just over 1 million. About 27 million Americans are now receiving some form of unemployment aid, according to the Labor Department.

New Jersey and Florida had the highest increases of initial jobless claims for the week ending Aug. 15, as they rose by more than 11,000 in both states.

The CARES Act’s weekly unemployment aid of $600 expired at the end of July. Democrats passed the HEROES Act back in May to extend the $600-a-week payments while Republicans proposed reducing that amount to $200. But Congress has left Washington until September with no deal on a new coronavirus relief bill, leaving millions of jobless Americans struggling to Support themselves.

On Aug. 8, President Trump signed an executive order to pay for additional weekly benefits worth $300 but it diverts funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency which is also dealing with the impact of Hurricane Laura in southern states. States can add another $100 for a total $400 supplement, but many have said they can’t afford that.

To be eligible for this new assistance, many workers must now take an additional step to self-certify that they are unemployed or partially unemployed due to disruptions from COVID-19, according to a memo published by Washington state’s Employment Security Division.

Thirty-five states were approved for assistance last week.

Read more about protecting yourself from coronavirus. Check the CDC website for more information on how to protect yourself and check our latest article to learn how COVID-19 differs from the flu.

In a time of crisis, such as that which we find ourselves in now, a universal basic income is a cushion on which people and families can fall. We cannot afford to go through one more day of this pandemic without this essential economic stimulus. Sign this petition to demand that lawmakers pass universal income legislation immediately!

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