People waiting in line at an unemployment office.
Yellow Dog Productions
The coronavirus relief bill under consideration by Congress would significantly expand unemployment benefits for Americans who lose their jobs due to the country’s recent economic contagion.
However, there is concern that the unemployment benefits for some workers — especially those making lower wages — would exceed 100% of their current paychecks, creating an incentive for them not to work — or induce companies to lay them off to cut costs.
The measure, part of the bill unveiled Tuesday, would beef up the nation’s unemployment insurance program, a state-administered program that provides temporary income support for out-of-work Americans. Final language could change before the bill’s scheduled release later Wednesday, though experts don’t expect it will relative to unemployment.
Under the legislation, unemployed workers would both collect bigger unemployment checks — which could, in some cases, even…
