Unemployed draw more than when they worked

Senator Lindsey Graham believes a $326 dollar a week South Carolina unemployment benefit is fair.  He introduced an amendment yesterday to lower an additional $600 dollar a week benefit to $500 for both August and September.  Starting October 1, the unemployed would get up to $326 a week from the state, along with a federal benefit of up to $500 a week.  That benefit would cover up to 100% of an unemployed individual’s pre-pandemic wages.  “I’m sympathetic to those who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own and want to help make them whole,” Graham said.  “However, we cannot continue the $600 per week federal benefit which is now paying unemployed South Carolinians over $48,000 a year.  In many cases someone on unemployment has received a pay raise and is making more on unemployment than they did at their job….”