Smart states are rejecting Biden's enhanced unemployment scheme

 Washington Examiner:

Exactly half of the country’s states have announced plans to opt out of the expanded federal unemployment program early, given recent economic growth and fears of a labor shortage.

Maryland became the 25th state to announce an early demise to the supercharged benefits program this week. The program gives the unemployed $300 per week on top of whatever states already provide. The expanded benefits were intended to help those sidelined by the pandemic, although some worry that it has incentivized remaining unemployed.

The sunset date for the entire federal program is Sept. 6, Labor Day. States are required to let residents know about when the benefits are ending in advance, so different states, all of which are led by Republican governors, have different dates for when the federal program will be phased out:

June 12: Alaska, Iowa, Mississippi, and Missouri.

June 19: Alabama, Idaho, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

June 26: Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Utah.

Montana will end the benefits on June 27, South Carolina on June 30, Maryland and Tennessee on July 3, Arizona on July 10, and Indiana on July 19.

The expanded benefits are generous when stacked on top of state unemployment payments, which averaged $387 per week prior to the pandemic.

That means that, on average, unemployed people in the United States are now netting $687 per week. When compared to a job with a 40-hour workweek, the $687-per-week income equates to a $17.17 hourly wage — a figure more than double that of the federal minimum wage.

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This is one of those Democrat schemes that backfired on the country and wasted money.  It looks like the blue states are the ones with continuing ties to a program that reduces the incentive to get a job and work,