| Unemployment benefits to expire as coronavirus talks deadlock |
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| News |
| Written by The Hill Press |
| Friday, 31 July 2020 08:30 |
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WASHINGTON, DC - Enhanced unemployment benefits are set to expire as congressional negotiators are deadlocked over a coronavirus relief deal. The additional $600 a week in unemployment insurance that Congress provided in late March will sunset on Friday at midnight, dealing a significant financial blow to millions of jobless Americans amid a weakening labor market. Lawmakers had hoped the deadline, which was known for months, would result in the kind of eleventh-hour agreement that was once commonplace in Washington. But in a sign of how far apart negotiators are, the Senate left town for the week on Thursday, ensuring Congress will careen over the looming unemployment cliff. |
30 million Americans have filed jobless claims since the pandemic began, and the U.S. gross domestic product contracted by a 32.9 percent in the 2nd quarter.