- Interviews reveal benefit ranges from perk to necessity
- Policy makers at odds about extending weekly unemployment aid
In about two weeks millions of Americans could lose a crucial economic lifeline of this pandemic: $600 a week in extra federal unemployment benefits.
The scheduled end will ripple through households and the entire economy. The program accounts for a big chunk of the Treasury Department’s record jobless payments last month, which exceeded $100 billion. Without the additional cash, some of the hardest-hit households may be forced to choose which bills to pay and which to let slide.
Reade Pickert, Michael Sasso, & Maeve Sheehey | Bloomberg