James Taylor with the Mississippi Center for Public Policy says the additional $300 unemployment benefit should end. He says businesses need workers and it's the fairest thing for them, existing staff that's likely overworked and the unemployed .
"The benefits that people have received during COVID have been very generous and there was time when we needed that. But right now our unemployment rate has gone down and it's time to end that and again invite people into the workforce," said Taylor.
Brandon Jones with the Southern Poverty Law Center says the argument people want to collect the additional benefit is too broad a statement and offensive. He says the average per capita income in the state is $30,000 dollars and the minimum wage should be raised. On Facebook the governor wrote there are thousands of jobs to be filled. Jones has questions about that.
"I'd like to know what those jobs are and I'd like to know what they pay and I'd like to know where they are and I think we're using anecdotal evidence and political pressure to take a very serious life and death subject and try to score political points and that's just not appropriate," said Jones.
Fifty-year old Allyson Vaughn of Byram says she changed careers earned a bachelors and a master degree in business administration but hasn't been able to find a job for over a year.
"It's hurtful because how would I pay my mortgage and my bills on just the $960 from the remaining unemployment we will receive," said Vaughn.
Mississippi's average $235 weekly unemployment benefit is the lowest in the nation.
