Texas ending federal pandemic related unemployment in June

Governor Abbott has notified the U.S. Department of Labor that Texas will end its participation in pandemic-related federal unemployment compensation starting June 26. This includes ending a $300 weekly unemployment supplement from the federal program.

Abbott released a press release stating, “According to the Texas Workforce Commission, the number of job openings in Texas is almost identical to the number of Texans who are receiving unemployment benefits, but does not include the voluminous jobs that typically are not listed, like construction and restaurant jobs.”

Abbott goes on to say that there are nearly 60% more jobs open (and listed) in Texas today than there was in February 2020, the month before the Pandemic hit Texas.

The governor’s office said according to the Texas Workforce Commission, nearly 45% of posted jobs offer wages more than $15.50 per hour, and about 75% pay more than $11.50 per hour.

The state says it is trying to cut down on the amount of fraudulent unemployment claims, saying the TWC estimates nearly 18% of all claims filed during the pandemic are either confirmed or suspected to be false (800,000 claims). The governor’s office says their focus is on helping unemployed Texans connect with the more than a million job openings, rather than paying unemployment benefits to remain off the employment rolls, according to a press release.