Chambana Sun

Rep. Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur) is shedding light on a recent marketing research report that estimates the end of federal unemployment benefits will lead to nearly 2 million jobs being filled through the end of the year.

Morning Consult reported that 26 governors chose to prematurely terminate the extra $300 per week unemployed workers were receiving under the American Rescue Plan because they argued the additional benefits were preventing individuals from returning to work.

“A new poll delivers a devastating blow to the latest lie from the mainstream media and Governor Pritzker about unemployment,” Caulkins wrote in a July 16 Facebook post. “A whopping 1.8 million Americans turned down jobs because the government extended unemployment benefits and it discouraged work.”

About a third of unemployment insurance recipients have turned down job offers during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Morning Consult.

The 45% of people who turned down employment said a major reason was because they received unemployment benefits.

Over 14 million adults were recipients of unemployment state and federal benefits for the week ending June 19, Morning Consult reported.

Even as unemployment benefit recipients return to the workforce, Morning Consult revealed the economy will have 4.7 million fewer jobs than were available prior to the pandemic.