Republicans say the extra $600 in weekly unemployment benefits is discouraging some people from returning to work.

Economists who’ve studied the payments say there’s no evidence that more generous benefits are affecting job-finding. https://www.wsj.com/articles/is-600-a-week-in-extra-unemployment-aid-deterring-people-from-seeking-work-11596015000

A study released this month by Yale economists found workers with more-generous benefits didn’t experience larger employment declines when the benefits took effect, and they’ve returned to work at similar rates as others.

In June, 70% of people who left UI were likely earning more in benefits than they did in their previous jobs, @ernietedeschi found.

“What we see in the data in May and June is there’s no re­la­tion­ship be­tween job-find­ing or job-leav­ing and the gen­eros­ity of UI ben­e­fits”

That doesn’t mean the benefits aren’t a factor in individual cases. We have LOTS of anecdotal evidence from employers and employees that that’s the case.

But it’s also the case that many people with very generous benefits are going back to work.

In a poll earlier this month by @BPC_Bipartisan, about half of the unemployed workers surveyed said they weren’t looking for work.

16% said it’s because they’re making more on UI, v. 36% who cited health risks and, among people with children, 41% who cited lack of childcare.

Only 12% said they had been asked to return to work by their previous employer.