WCPO: Federal pandemic unemployment benefits end

An improving job market lends support to the decision to end pandemic support structures for unemployed workers, according to University of Cincinnati economist Michael Jones.

Financial safety nets for unemployed workers in states including Indiana and Kentucky that were created during the COVID-19 pandemic recently ended, WCPO reports.

“In the peak of the crisis, there were five workers that were looking for every one job,” said Jones, an assistant professor-educator in UC’s Department of Economics at the Carl H. Lindner College of Business.

Now there are more job openings than unemployed workers with 10 million open jobs nationwide.

However, factors such as rising COVID-19 cases and struggles to find childcare might prevent some workers from returning to work, Jones said.

See more from WCPO.