MADISON – Gov. Tony Evers vetoed Assembly Bill 336 on Tuesday, which would have ended the federal pandemic-related unemployment benefits. For well over a month, WMC has led a coalition of local chambers and other business associations to urge the governor to end Wisconsin’s participation in these expanded benefits. Claimants can receive $300-per-week on top of the state’s max of $370 in unemployment benefits – the equivalent of nearly $17-per-hour.
While Gov. Evers has consistently claimed there is “no data” to prove the enhanced benefits are impacting the state’s workforce shortage, employers and numerous studies disagree. In fact, data from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, the University of Wisconsin and others all show the additional $300 has made a noticeable contribution to the workforce shortage.
In response to Gov. Evers’ veto of the legislation, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC) President & CEO Kurt Bauer released the following statement:
“Gov. Evers’ veto is a major blow to Wisconsin’s economy as it attempts to bounce back from the downturn caused by COVID-19 and the subsequent government restrictions. His unwillingness to acknowledge that the $300-per-week supplement is incentivizing far too many people to stay out of the workforce shows how disconnected and detached he is to the plight of business leaders in his own state. Unfortunately, some businesses won’t make it until Labor Day when the enhanced benefits are set to expire. Tens of thousands of employers are desperately crying for help now and the governor refuses to listen – let alone help.”
