But there’s a catch: It’s unclear whether Trump has the authority to extend enhanced unemployment benefits by executive action while side-stepping Congress. It lowers the weekly bonus to $400 from the extra $600 that expired in late July, with states being asked to cover 25% of the costs. That means the federal government will provide $300 a week. And it could take months for states to implement.
Americans face a drop in their unemployment benefits at a time when coronavirus cases are spiking again and more states are pausing their reopenings, trends that threaten to derail the nation's economic recovery when millions are already out of work.