I get paid $439.88 as an essential worker in Healthcare. I get paid weekly so when I hear the government giving the newly unemployed workers $600+ on average 45% of your income every week they remain eligible.

Say I take a leave of absence because I’m afraid I will be in contact with covid 19 and risk my immunocompromised immediate family. I can file for unemployment. I make roughly $2,300 before taxes. I could make up to $1,035 on unemployment. Add the extra $600 (4) an extra $2400.

I would be on unemployment for at least the next 4 weeks because that’s when the stay at home order is suppose to lift. So for the next month, I could make over $3000 or $858 on unemployment.

I’m sorry if you’re only making 10% of your income on unemployment, and that this extra $600 a week doesn’t even cut into your normal income. My answer to that and this entire argument is we needed to match the income (up to a certain amount like the $75,000 threshold)

Because I’m telling you if I made an extra $1700 a month being on unemployment and can still walk back to my job after all this is over, I guarantee it’s happening to many other Americans.

Don’t tell me I should be grateful for still having a job, or that my extra pay is the $1200 stimulus check. I don’t carry any health insurance, have a 401K, or any other job benefits, not even PT fucking O.