Labor Day Brings an End to Federal $300 Weekly Unemployment Boost

President Joe Biden (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Labor Day 2021 represents a perilous crossroads for millions of Americans. Two primary anchors of the government’s COVID protection package are ending or have recently ended.

The $300 weekly jobless benefit boost will stop Monday, affecting an estimated 8.9 million people. In Alabama, Gov. Kay Ivey announced in May that the state would end that benefit program. It ended in Alabama in June.

A federal eviction moratorium already has expired.

While other aspects of pandemic assistance including rental aid and the expanded Child Tax Credit are still widely available, the social safety net has clearly shrunk.

The Biden administration believes the U.S. economy is strong enough not to be rattled by evictions or the drop in unemployment benefits and that the other elements of the safety net are enough to smooth things over.

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