At his 2 p.m. coronavirus press conference today, Gov. Mike DeWine announced Ohio will be cancelling its agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor on June 26th to offer the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program, which is currently offering all unemployed Ohioans a weekly $300 bonus payment.

The Ohio Chamber commends the governor for making this decision because Ohio Chamber members, including business owners on our Ohio Small Business Council, have made clear this supplemental unemployment benefit has hindered their ability to grow their workforce. This belief is underscored by the fact that when the $300 per week supplemental benefit is offered, an individual has to earn an income greater than $41,496 to make less on unemployment benefits than they do working. Likewise, the data on OhioMeansJobs website shows more than 180,000 jobs are available with more than half of those jobs paying more than $50,000 per year.

Gov. DeWine’s announcement also recognizes that to fully restore Ohio’s economy there must be an adequate labor force. Removing this crucial barrier to building a vibrant workforce will aid our economic recovery by helping employers hire the workers they need once their operations return to pre-pandemic levels.

There is still more work to be done to create a prosperous post-pandemic economy, but Gov. DeWine’s decision to end the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program in Ohio along with lifting all health orders impacting businesses will prove beneficial to economic growth throughout the Buckeye State.