Posted on 05/19/2021 5:48:58 AM PDT by woodbutcher1963
CONCORD, N.H. —
New Hampshire is ending its participation in the federal pandemic unemployment program that gave unemployed workers an extra $300 each week and introducing a bonus for people who return to work.
Gov. Chris Sununu said the additional federal benefit will end June 19. There's a 30-day notice requirement, and Sununu said he contacted the Department of Labor on Tuesday morning to say that New Hampshire would leave the program.
Sununu said the state's unemployment has nearly fallen to what it was before the pandemic forced many businesses to close or reduce operations. He said more jobs are available in New Hampshire than ever before, but 15,000 fewer people are employed than before the pandemic started.
The governor announced a new $10 million program that will provide a bonus to currently unemployed people who return to work for at least eight consecutive weeks. Part-time employees will be eligible for a $500 bonus, and full-time employees can apply for a $1,000 bonus.
The program begins immediately, with the first workers able to apply for the bonus in eight weeks. It will only be available to those who make $25 an hour or less.
>> COVID-19 in New Hampshire: Important information
"The process is actually fairly simple," Sununu said. "That we're committing $10 million to the bonuses, and eight weeks from today, the application process will begin, so you have to show that you've worked for those eight consecutive weeks. Then, the application process will begin, so it's kind of a first-come, first-served."
Sununu said a lot of companies are trying to find workers, and wages are high, in some cases starting at $15 to $20 per hour. He said job fairs are being held, and there is a lot of need for seasonal workers and health care workers.
"Every employer I talk to is looking for workers," Sununu said. "They're desperate for not just the $300 to go away, which it will as soon as it can on June 19, but also now, we're kind of reversing course a little bit in a positive way and adding a stipend -- an incentive -- to get folks back to work."
Sununu noted that while special pandemic programs are winding down, normal unemployment benefits aren't going anywhere.
Christine and Jonathan McIntyre of Nashua will both be impacted by the change.
"We were the first, like Mar. 15, laid off. The industry just shut and it still is to this day," said Christine McIntyre.
Both are newborn photographers that lost their full-time jobs at hospitals. They said Jonathan's benefits have been tied up in Massachusetts. Christine said she is receiving $168 a week from the state, plus the federal $300 boost.
Neither want to apply for temporary jobs outside of their field.
"It's probably not fair to the employer too, like 'Hi, I can work here one to three months,'" Christine said.
There is a Friendly’s down the street in Nashua that is closed because they can not hire enough people to run their restaurant.
Suck it up and go hungry then.
They just don't want to have to do real work for a living, IOW.
So they are going to pay money through bonuses in order to save money on unemployment. I’d love to see how much they expect to save in order to do this, and if the bonuses get paid out only if the cost reduction actually happens.
Yeah, I’m holding out for that next on-air opening at CNN.
Hey, I’ve got training!
I’m thinking a lot of folks are going to find their career choices limited in the Brave New World. They’ve been fed dollars for the last year, had sympathy and support because of generous government programs. It wasn’t their fault of course, and with the TV screaming that we’re all gonna die sitting at home was almost patriotic. But that has to end.
They were “baby photographers”.
Sounds like they need to reconsider their long term profession.
They are probably taking jobs on the side for cash.
I am sure I could make a living doing odd jobs for cash for people on my local town Facebook pages. Everyday there is someone looking for a person to do some job around their house.
As subsidies go, this one seems less terrible than most.
It pays for work, not couch-sitting.
There’s a limited pool of money ($10 million). When it runs out, hopefully the subsidy goes away. It seems to give incentive to get to work sooner rather than later. There’s enough money to pay the $1,000 bonus to 10,000 full time-workers. There are 15,000 fewer people working in NH now than before the pandemic — so there isn’t enough money to entice everyone back to work. If you want the money, you better find a job SOON.
NH has a lot of residents who work (or worked) in MA. MA has been terrible at paying unemployment to NH residents. If they do pay, they deduct state income tax. If you’re still working (from home) at a MA job, MA has been extracting their cut of your pay the whole time. If this bonus persuades a few thousand people to work in NH instead of MA, it will be a boost to the NH economy. And it will drain some money from the rotten Charlie “Tall Deval” Baker and his rancid MA gang of thieves.
There’s a lawsuit going on for those who work for MA companies but are working in the state of NH. Those days are not supposed to be taxed by MA and yet MA still taxes them so it’s a clear violation of their own tax laws.
I sure hope the lawsuit gets somewhere soon and is successful.
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