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$ 300 vs $ 400 per week
A weekly increase of $ 300 in weekly unemployment benefits would be in addition to standard government benefits.
According to the most recent data from the United States Department of Labor, workers received an average of $ 324 in government benefits per week in the third quarter of last year. That help replaced about 38% of their median pre-discharge pay, which was $ 843 per week.
According to CNBC analysis, an additional $ 300 per week would add up to 74% of that replacement rate.
A weekly increase of $ 400 would have taken it higher, to 85%.
In comparison, last year, a $ 600 per week wage increase offered by the CARES law replaced 100% of lost wages for the average unemployed worker.
State differences
The $ 300 supplement would go further in some states, especially those that tend to pay more meager benefits.
In Mississippi, for example, the average worker received $ 190 in weekly benefits in January, the least of all states, according to the U.S. Labor Department. An additional $ 300 per week would more than double their current allocation.
Massachusetts, on the other hand, paid $ 521 a week to the average person, the states’ largest amount in January. A $ 300 increase in Massachusetts would provide a greater total payout ($ 851 per week) compared to the Mississippi worker, but would be far from doubling initial aid.
According to the Department of Labor, more than 18 million Americans received unemployment benefits in mid-February.