(WKBN) – Many of you have heard about people staying unemployed until the $600 weekly bonus runs out at the end of July.
A University of Chicago study found between 60% and 70% of people on unemployment are making more than they did at their job while getting the federal supplement.
Senator Rob Portman believes that’s a disincentive to work and makes it difficult for employers to ask workers to take a pay cut when returning.
Portman would like to see a $450 weekly incentive for people to return to work.
“I’ve been pushing that for the last six weeks. I think it’s the way to go. We’re getting a little bit of interest on both sides of the aisle. I think it’s a way to ensure we’re providing an incentive to go back to work and all of us should be for that,” he said.
Portman sees three benefits from the incentive: small businesses would get workers back that they want, it helps workers get back to work and it helps the taxpayer, so unemployment doesn’t go broke.