By Paul DeMarco, commentary
Across the state of Alabama, some employers have struggled to get their employees back to work despite the numbers of those with the coronavirus dramatically going down and restrictions lifted.
Some of the blame has been attributed to both state and federal unemployment benefits that paid some individuals more than they made when they were at work.
With all of the government lockdowns behind us, there should be no limitations on why folks cannot get back to work unless they have a medical condition of some sort that would keep them from returning to work.
And now this is the second week in Alabama that those receiving unemployment benefits will not receive the extra $300 federal supplements as ordered by Governor Kay Ivey back in May.
Alabama’s unemployment rate stands at 3.4 percent, almost a full ten points down from April of 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic. Yet, there are still lots of employers looking for employees and using higher starting salaries and benefits as incentives.
Hopefully, everyone that can, will get back to work as there is now light at the end of the tunnel for the pandemic.
Paul DeMarco is a former member of the Alabama House of Representatives