失业救济金计划即将到期，数百万美国人可能失去每周600美金的额外补助

大约两周后，数百万美国人可能会失去COVID-19大流行期间的关键经济生命线：每周600美元的额外联邦失业福利。失业救济金计划在财政部上个月发放的创纪录的失业金中占了很大一部分，超过了1000亿美元。该计划的结束将波及家庭和整个经济。对于新泽西州的阿曼达-斯坦豪瑟来说，这意味着要更快地烧光微薄的积蓄；对于加州的克里斯-博莱来说，这意味着他不知道如何支付房租；对于北卡罗来纳州的拉文-吉尔伯特来说，这可能意味着要努力挣扎才能买得起食物。

最后期限到来之际，经济复苏似乎后继无力，疫情的重新爆发导致各州逆转或停止重新开放。与此同时，华盛顿的政策制定者们却在是否采取更多经济刺激措施的谈判中陷入僵局，特别是关于是否延长额外的失业救济金计划的部分。每周的联邦援助是在传统的失业救济金基础上增加的，而传统的失业救济金由各州管理，其规模可谓大相径庭。民主党人希望延长这项名为 "联邦大流行性失业补偿 "的计划。共和党人和特朗普政府则呼吁为失业者可以获得的补助金额设定上限，认为一味的发放补助金实际上会抑制人们重返工作岗位。一些美国人从失业救济金中赚到的钱比他们就业时赚到的钱还要多。根据芝加哥大学研究人员的一篇论文，三分之二有资格获得失业保险的工人可以从失业补助金中获得比他们之前工作收入更多的钱。

33岁的阿曼达-斯坦豪瑟就是其中之一。在疫情开始之前，她在新泽西州布莱克伍德的一家小型派对用品公司工作，每小时能赚取14.75美元。现在，她从失业援助中获得的收入几乎是失业前的两倍。她已经还清了一些信用卡债务，每周都能节省数百美元。但她说，在美国就业市场有望恢复正常之前，如果没有联邦的额外补足，她的失业救济金将降至每周280美元，大约是她在大流行之前工作收入的一半，她将在几个月内用完自己的储蓄。“自从3月份被裁员后，我就一直在找工作，但一直没有找到任何工作，如果我没有那600美元，我知道我会完蛋，“她说。

In about two weeks millions of Americans could lose a crucial economic lifeline of this pandemic: $600 a week in extra federal unemployment benefits. The scheduled end will ripple through households and the entire economy. The program accounts for a big chunk of the Treasury Department’s record jobless payments last month, which exceeded $100 billion. Without the additional cash, some of the hardest-hit households may be forced to choose which bills to pay and which to let slide. For Amanda Steinhauser in New Jersey, it will mean burning through meager savings even faster. For Chris Bolei in California, it means not knowing how he’ll make rent. For Raven Gilbert in North Carolina, it could mean struggling to buy food.

The deadline comes as the economic recovery shows signs of losing steam with renewed outbreaks causing states to reverse or stall reopenings. Meanwhile, policy makers in Washington are at a standstill in their talks for more stimulus, and in particular whether to include an extension of the extra unemployment benefits. The weekly supplemental federal assistance was added to traditional unemployment benefits, which are administered by states and can vary widely in size. Democrats want to extend the program, called Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation. Republicans and the Trump administration have called for capping the amount of money jobless Americans can receive, seeing it as a disincentive to return to work. Some Americans are making more money from jobless benefits than they did when they were employed. Two-thirds of workers who are eligible for unemployment insurance can receive more than what they lost in earnings, according to a paper by researchers at the University of Chicago.

Amanda Steinhauser, 33, is one of them. Before the pandemic began, she earned $14.75 an hour at a small party supply company in Blackwood, New Jersey. Now, she’s earning nearly twice as much with unemployment assistance. As a result, she has paid off some credit card debt and is saving hundreds of dollars each week. But she says her savings will run out in a matter of months, before the U.S. jobs market is expected to return to normal. Without the additional federal top-up, Steinhauser’s unemployment benefits will fall to $280 a week, about half of what she made before the pandemic. “I have been looking for a job ever since I was laid off back in March, and I haven’t been able to find anything,” Steinhauser said. “If I don’t have that $600, I know I’m going to be screwed.”  source

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