I worked a lot of years in (union) construction in MN. The pay was great, time out-of-work was a "way of life". Employers paid-into the program based on how much employees were not working so in construction, they always were paying in at the maximum.

Despite me having lots of time working, I had lots of periods of collecting unemployment based on my (high) wages. So I was always getting the maximum allowed. But that 'taught' me to not live beyond my means and "save for the 'rainy' days". ymmv

My state unemployment here ins this red state is $107, or $96/week after taxes. Livin large.

I went on unemployment many years ago for a short time in between career changes. It was never comparable to ones salary. If I remember correctly it was about 70% of normal salary. At that time I was still forging my career, so my full time salary was just enough to get by. 70% of that was not even close to sufficient.

As an RoboGraham pointed out below, perhaps the real question really centers on increasing the minimum wage so that people would be incentives to return to work. I think its a little bit cynical to think that the majority of people that are receiving increased unemployment benefits during the pandemic do not want to return to work.

I think there have been studies that have demonstrated that MOST people need some sort of productive activity to find and maintain self worth. Most realize that this pandemic and economic period is temporary and will end some time in the foreseeable future. They see themselves as returning to some form of work.

However presently they feel the danger posed by the pandemic justifies the remaining at home and collecting benefits until the danger lessens. For Republicans rationalizing that all these individuals are lazy and do not want to work is both cynical, and a selfish rationalization and minimizes these families travails.

Never having received any… I’ve always thought the lesser than normal pay is the incentive to find actual work.. The Pandemic is an anomaly, folks having lost their jobs by circumstance more than any other factor.

Actually, I find myself agreeing with the republican’s logic that ‘additional unemployment’ payments are a disincentive to work. My oldest daughter was one of the first, if only to return to her relatively safe job, as the owner of the business couldn’t get others to come back … making more sitting at home. It was a part-time startup, and ‘work’ quickly returned. Her partner being the owner’s son, she had a bit more loyalty.. ..but told me she’d have gone back anyway to keep the business afloat. Coworkers did not appear to care

Good point

Another inference that can be drawn from this is that people on unemployment get more than a person does who works full time at or near minimum wage. Unemployment is meant to allow someone to just get by, so if a minimum wage worker can't work full time and earn enough to just get by, is it time to raise it to a living wage yet?