A Blow to Struggling Biz: Joe’s Unemployment Folly

President Biden says that enhanced unemployment benefits have had “no . . . measurable” effect on the failure of people to return to work (“Brother, Can you spare an employee?” May 8).

Despite having spent 36 years in the Senate and eight years as vice president, Biden seems to lack even a basic understanding of economics.

It hardly takes a genius to understand that when you dole out more money for people to remain at home than they would receive if they returned to work, they will remain at home.

And that when you propose to spend trillions of dollars that we do not have on dubious “infrastructure” projects and on more government benefits, inflation will be the inevitable result.

Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen attempted to point this uncomfortable fact out, but was apparently hushed up by the administration.

Alan Abrams Palm Springs, Calif.

Mr. President, please stop wasting money.

Require proof that someone who wants unemployment actually applied for a job periodically and did not get it before they receive unemployment.

People are receiving unemployment that pays higher than the jobs they can obtain. This takes away all incentive to look for a job. Marvin Stiglitz

Manhattan

Saturday’s headline about employees choosing not to return to work sheds more light on a glaring problem.

This handout of extended benefits is keepble ing many eligible members of the workforce at home to collect some easy cash. This stimulus giveaway is only the start to many more.

If a former employee laid off for lack of work during the pandemic refuses an offer to return to work, the benefits should be cut off.

If things keep going the way they are, there will be no jobs to return to — then we are stuck with their tab forever.

Bo Madden Jupiter, Fla.

No one should be surprised that businesses can’t find workers now that lockdowns are lifting.

The master plan of the Biden administration is to put everybody on the government dole. There’s nothing humanitarian about this plot. It’s all about votes.

It’s kind of ironic that far-left cities like New York that voted for Biden now get payback by having bars and restaurants closed for lack of employees. It should be a wake-up call.

Walter Goldeski East Brunswick, NJ

It has become obvious that many small businesses in New York are really hurting, even unato open their businesses full-time, because they’re having major problems hiring people to work for them due to Biden’s generous unemployment payments. People find that they make more money staying home than they would working.

The obvious solution would be for Biden to cut back on those benefits, knowing that there are so many available jobs out there now that things are opening up.

Maybe it is being done on purpose in order to replace those laid-off workers with some new cheap labor via “undocumented” immigrants. Just a thought. Brenda Keller

Toms River, NJ

All I know is that no matter where I go, there are signs in the windows of businesses saying “help wanted.”

Either this president has no idea want he is doing to the economy, or this is truly his plan — birth-to-death government care.

Socialism has never worked. What makes these Democrats think it will work now? Wake up, America. Before it’s too late. Philip Vallone

Ossining

Liberals want you to stay home. Liberals want to pay you more for not working while destroying business. The question always is: Why would a patriotic US citizen want a handout?

Remember: The more the government gives you, the more it can take away. JR Cummings

Manhattan