Ohio’s Republican U.S. Senator is urging the state to stop providing the $300 weekly federal checks to unemployed Ohioans, which will stop coming September 6 unless another COVID relief package extends them.
Please see the clarification at the end of this story.
Sen. Rob Portman (R-Cincinnati) says there are good jobs available but says many Ohioans won’t work because the federal jobless benefits are too generous. “They are making more in unemployment insurance than they are on the jobs. On top of that, Congress recently passed legislation of that would be tax free which gives those on unemployment insurance an additional advantage," Portman says.
Portman says Ohio should stop those checks and give people who take jobs a $100 signing bonus* instead. Ohio has reinstated the requirement that unemployed Ohioans getting benefits prove they’re looking for work starting May 23.
*Point of clarification - Portman's office says that $100 signing bonus would really be the equivalent of a $600 signing bonus because it would provide $100 a week over six weeks on the job.
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