Ricketts ending $300 pandemic unemployment benefits in Nebraska
Source: Omaha World Herald
By Martha Stoddard , Paul Hammel
LINCOLN — Gov. Pete Ricketts announced Monday that the state will stop paying $300 a week of federal pandemic unemployment benefits next month and end two other special unemployment programs.
The announcement makes Nebraska the latest state to drop out of the enhanced unemployment program early, as employers scramble to find workers.
Ricketts said he is making the change because Nebraska is "returning to normal" after more than a year of living with pandemic-related disruptions. He pointed out that the state has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country.
He also said he believes the additional benefits can be a disincentive for people to work, because some low-wage workers have been able to get more money with unemployment than working available jobs. Ricketts said employers should provide wage increases if the market demands it, but the government should not be artificially affecting the labor market.
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