Reactions to Federal COVID Benefits Coming to an End

(Des Moines, IA) -- Iowans on unemployment will lose their additional $300 federal unemployment payments this Sunday, June 13th, 2021. Governor Kim Reynolds announced last month the state would pull out of the federal COVID unemployment relief program. Iowans stand on both sides of the issue. Some people in Des Moines told WHO Radio Reynolds is ending unemployment benefits for political gain, while others say Iowans on unemployment need to be more focused on getting a job. Business Centric Technology says there are currently about 15 percent more jobs available across the country than before the coronavirus pandemic. Weekly jobless claims in Iowa are down across the board by 19-percent. The state's unemployment rate is currently the seventh lowest in the country at three-point-eight percent.