As the nation took a financial blow from the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Greg Abbott (R-Texas) confidently asserts that the successful Texas recovery is due to his decision to opt-out of the federal COVID-19 unemployment program in the spring.
The Lone Star State surrendered the federal unemployment assistance in May that provided unemployed Texans a $300 weekly unemployed benefit, reported by the Dallas Express.
“The Texas economy is booming and employers are hiring in communities throughout the state,” Abbott said. “Texans are ready to get back to work.”
The state’s last day participating in the program was June 26, reported by the Dallas Express.
The decision by Abbott to withdraw from the program received some chastisement from Texans, including the Head of the Texas AFL-CIO Rick Levy, the Dallas Express reported.
“We can’t even imagine the thinking behind Gov. Abbott’s callous decision to strip the remaining federal unemployment insurance benefits out of the pockets of Texas working families,” Levy said. “If he took the time or had any interest in understanding the challenges working people face, Gov. Abbott would see clearly that folks across Texas desperately need these funds as they try to navigate their way through the economic carnage of the pandemic.”
Although Abbott faced backlash, the numbers speak for themselves.
“There are nearly 60% more jobs open in Texas today than there was in February 2020, making these unemployment benefits no longer necessary,” Abbot said.
The Lone Star economy has purportedly returned to pre-COVID levels, reported by Texas News Today.
“According to the Texas Labor Relations Commission, there are more jobs than those with unemployment insurance,” Abbott said, reported by the Texas News Today. “In addition, about 18% of unemployment insurance claims filed have proven to be fraudulent.”
