JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – On Monday, Governor Tate Reeves (R-Miss.) said Mississippi “cannot have a full economic recovery until thousands of available jobs” in the state are filled.
Gov. Reeves said he informed the Department of Employment Security to direct the Biden Administration that Mississippi will be opting out of the additional federal unemployment benefits as early as federal law allows, which is June 12, 2021.
You can read the governor’s full statement below.
The purpose of unemployment benefits is to temporarily assist Mississippians who are unemployed through no fault of their own. After many conversations over the last several weeks with Mississippi small business owners and their employees, it has become clear that the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and other like programs passed by the Congress may have been necessary in May of last year but are no longer so in May of this year. Therefore, I have informed the Department of Employment Security to direct the Biden Administration that Mississippi will be opting out of the additional federal unemployment benefits as early as federal law allows – June 12, 2021. It has become clear to me that we cannot have a full economic recovery until we get the thousands of available jobs in our state filled. I have also directed MDES to prioritize pre-pandemic enforcement of all eligibility requirements for any individual to receive unemployment benefits under state law. Mississippi is open for business!
Gov. Tate Reeves (R-Miss.)
MDES announced it will provide the United States Department of Labor notice of intent to terminate the federally funded programs effective June 12, 2021, and MDES will alert those receiving these benefits of the ending of the programs in the upcoming weeks.