In the midst of uncertainties, even the Fed checks are bound to a big change, and not every unemployed American previously gaining advantage from these checks is happy, with the implementation CARES Act fast approaching.
On 6th July, we surveyed 1059 unemployed Americans to ask about their lives after the expiration of the $600 unemployment insurance on 31 July. Let’s see what we found.
Our respondents
Survey Results
Unemployed Workers' Finance After The $600 Insurance Expires
At Very High Risk
Weekly Earnings of Those Who Think They Are At High Risk
“The objective of every single thing we’re doing is to create a situation in which Americans have the best chance to go back to their old job or their new job. That’s the overriding goal of what we’re doing, and every one of our programs helps in that direction."
Top Financial Concern After The Stimulus Checks Expired
A large percentage of the respondents said their expenses went to household bills, including electricity, water, and Internet bills. A small amount of their weekly budget was allocated for child care.
“If there is another stimulus, the focus should be on individuals and small businesses truly suffering financially, scaling back unemployment benefits that encourage people not to work, & give businesses legal protection from frivolous lawsuits seeking to cash in on the pandemic”
Main Reasons That The Unemployed Are Asking For The Extension
“I think people will be very shocked, the day that the $600 stops. Workers can earn as little as, like, in Arizona, the maximum benefit is only $240 a week.”
How The End of the $600 Checks Affected The Unemployed Americans' Lives?
Fifty-nine percent of Americans were saying they struggled to make ends meet after the $600 checks ended on July 31st. The expiration decreased the purchasing power of the economy, since these unemployed Americans had been spending their allowances in both basic necessities and needs.
Methodology
On 6 July, we surveyed 1059 unemployed Americans to ask about their concern for the expiration of the $600 Fed unemployement insurance. The survey was launched on MTurk with the target location set to the U.S. We chose the Aprroval Rate above 95% to ensure the quality of the survey results. Within the survey questions, we also used the qualifying question to exclude the answer from those who are not unemployed Americans.
As the survey is based on self-reporting, please expect small telescoping and exaggeration. However, the data is reported transparently and we commit to being responsible for the authentication of the survey results.
Fair Use Statement
Feel free to share and use the data for your non-commercial purpose. However, we do ask for a credit if you are going to use our work.
Please link back to this article so that people can view the full version of the survey.