Edwards refuses request to end federal jobless aid for now
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) Louisiana business organizations Wednesday called on Gov. John Bel Edwards to join Republican-led states in cutting off the extra $300 in federal unemployment assistance going to the jobless, arguing it's harming employer efforts to rehire workers.
The Democratic governor said he doesn't intend to immediately end the weekly federal aid, but he left open the possibility of doing so later.
Ten leading business groups in the state representing contractors, homebuilders, convenience stores, gas stations, restaurants, retailers and more sent a letter to Edwards trying to sway him.
We believe this additional benefit was an important short-term solution to help individuals who were adversely impacted at the start of the pandemic," the groups wrote. However, 13 months later, many employers are finding it near impossible to fully staff their business, which impacts the supply chain and timely delivery of goods and services.
Read more: https://theeagle.com/news/national/edwards-refuses-request-to-end-federal-jobless-aid-for-now/article_e4dbc275-2b05-51cb-b3c9-57e291db5ddc.html
(Bryan-College Station Eagle)