Number of the Day Shows Jobless Impacted by Relief Bill

Our take on the most relevant or interesting figure in personal finance today

14 million - That’s how many people got their lifeline extended through two pandemic unemployment programs after President Donald Trump signed the latest economic relief bill.
Photo:

The Balance

That’s how many people just got their lifeline extended through two pandemic unemployment programs after President Donald Trump signed the latest economic relief bill Sunday night.

One day after the benefits packages expired, President Trump signed the $900-billion bipartisan stimulus bill that Congress passed last Monday. The economic relief package will throw a lifeline to approximately 9.27 million people who were on Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and 4.79 million people who had Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC)—a total of about 14 million—according to the latest jobless claims data from the Department of Labor.

The PUA and PEUC benefits are extended through March 14, but because of the delay in signing the bill, people may only get 10 weeks of extra assistance instead of 11. The Department of Labor had yet to issue guidance Tuesday afternoon on whether benefits will be paid for the week of Dec. 27.

President Trump called the bill a “disgrace” in a video on Twitter last week, asking Congress to increase stimulus checks from $600 to $2,000. After signing the bill Sunday, he issued a statement saying that the House would vote Monday whether to increase the amount of those individual payments.

Was this page helpful?
Sources
The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Department of Labor. "Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims," Page 4.

  2. House Appropriations Committee. "Division-By-Division Summary of COVID-19 Relief Provisions."

  3. The White House. "Statement From the President."

Related Articles