New Hampshire To End Extra $300 A Week Unemployment Payment Before September

CONCORD, N.H. (CBS/AP) - New Hampshire is joining a growing number of states that will soon stop paying the unemployed an extra $300 a week in benefits.

The money from the federal government has been coming on top of state unemployment benefits to help those who lost their jobs during the pandemic.

Governor Chris Sununu said they now have "incredibly low" unemployment in New Hampshire so it's time to wind down the program. A date hasn't been set yet.

"The federal government wants the program to go all the way to September, that's not going to happen. We will most certainly end the program a lot sooner than that," Sununu told reporters Thursday.

New Hampshire is one of at least 12 other states led by Republican governors who are ending the extra unemployment pay, saying that it was providing an incentive for laid-off workers to stay off the job.

Some businesses have cited the extra $300 as a reason they are struggling to find workers.

Sununu said removing the extra payment won't be a "game changer" for businesses looking to hire, but it will help get more people back to work.

In Massachusetts, Governor Charlie Baker said earlier this week he is keeping the $300 weekly payment in place.

(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)