by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)
Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Friday (May 7) stopped the state’s participation in federal supplemental jobless benefits which provided an extra $300 a week to those who qualified. The move comes as U.S. jobless data showed far fewer returning to work than expected.
The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan signed into law in early March by President Joe Biden included $300-a-week federal unemployment benefits through September. The plan also included $1,400 per-person stimulus checks and $350 billion to state, local and tribal governments to cover deficits resulting from the pandemic. The $300 a week equals a $15,600 annual salary.
