Tennessee will opt out of federal pandemic unemployment benefits plans on July 3rd.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced the move Tuesday, joining other states like Mississippi and Alabama. Lee said his decision came as jobs are plentiful in Tennessee.
“We will no longer participate in federal pandemic unemployment programs because Tennesseans have access to more than 250,000 jobs in our state,” Lee said in a statement. “Families, businesses and our economy thrive when we focus on meaningful employment and move on from short-term, federal fixes.”
Read his full letter here.
Here are the programs Lee is cancelling in Tennessee come July 3rd:
• Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), which provides for an additional $300 weekly payment to recipients of unemployment compensation.
• Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), which provides benefits for those who would not usually qualify, such as the self-employed, gig workers, and part-time workers.
• Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), which provides for an extension of benefits once regular benefits have been exhausted.
• Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation (MEUC), which provides an additional $100 benefit to certain people with mixed earnings.
• Unemployment claimants in Tennessee have been required to complete three weekly job searches in order to remain eligible for benefits since October 4th, 2020.
• Any weeks filed before July 3 that are eligible under federal program requirements will continue to be processed.
Lee’s statement said the Tennessee Workforce Development System “stands ready to help Tennesseans return to the workforce.”
“Career specialists are available to help job seekers match with new employment opportunities at more than 80 American Job Centers across the state. They can work to identify possible training programs that can help an individual change their career pathway or enter an apprenticeship program so they can earn a competitive wage, while they learn a new trade.
“The Tennessee Virtual American Job Center, www.TNVirtualAJC.com, allows Tennesseans to research different programs that can help remove barriers to employment so they can more easily reenter Tennessee’s workforce.
“As federal pandemic unemployment compensation ends in Tennessee, the state encourages claimants to search for work at www.Jobs4TN.gov, which currently has over 250,000 active job postings of all skill levels.”
