JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The state of Missouri said Monday it could begin paying $300 a week in extra unemployment later this week.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency earlier this month approved Missouri's application to participate in a program restoring half of the $600 weekly supplement approved by Congress that expired at the end of July. President Donald Trump restored the extra unemployment benefits via executive order two weeks ago after Congress failed to approve an extension.
Gov. Mike Parson said in a statement Monday: "Many families across our state are in great need during this time, and we are doing all we can to deliver extra federal assistance provided by the President's Executive Order to Missourians as soon as possible. In fact, Missouri was one of the very first states to apply for and receive over $200 million in this latest round of federal funding, allowing us to nearly double Missouri's maximum weekly benefit payment of $320."
The payments are retroactive to Aug. 1, but analysts have said the benefits are unlikely to last longer than four or five weeks.
The state said to receive the benefit, an individual must be eligible to receive at least $100 in unemployment benefits per week.
The estimated number of unemployed Missourians was 211,177 in July, down by 25,026 from June.