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US: States that ended COVID unemployment benefits see no boost in job growth
States that ended federal unemployment benefits earlier this summer saw August job growth at less than half the rate of states that retained the benefits, according to new data released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Why it matters: Leaders in the largely Republican-led states had insisted that the benefits were discouraging people from work, and ended the assistance program early ahead of its planned expiration on Sept. 6. The benefits, which came in the form of weekly $300 payments, had been in place since spring last year to help families through the pandemic. A growing group of states began ending the ... (full story)