PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregonians could lose more than $70 million in weekly employment benefits after Labor Day, when some federal pandemic aid programs expire and the state stops paying a $300 weekly unemployment bonus.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports the Oregon Employment Department’s acting director David Gerstenfeld called it a “sobering” moment on his weekly media call Wednesday.
He warned that more than 115,000 Oregonians are receiving assistance under temporary programs that date to the first COVID-19 relief act from March 2020.
The state has now reopened nearly all of its WorkSource job search assistance offices and Gerstenfeld also noted that employers are hiring at a nearly unprecedented rate.
