Gov. Abbott opts out of federal $300 unemployment benefit

​AUSTIN – Texas will opt out of further federal unemployment compensation related to the COVID-19 pandemic, effective June 26, 2021. 

Gov. Greg Abbot has withdrawn the state from the $300 weekly unemployment supplement from the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program. 

Abbott also cut off the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, which extended jobless aid to gig workers, self-employed people, and others who aren’t traditionally covered by unemployment insurance.

Nationally, those programs are available through September. 

"The Texas economy is booming and employers are hiring in communities throughout the state," said Gov. Abbott. "According to the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), the number of job openings in Texas is almost identical to the number of Texans who are receiving unemployment benefits. That assessment does not include the voluminous jobs that typically are not listed, like construction and restaurant jobs. In fact, there are nearly 60 percent more jobs open (and listed) in Texas today than there were in February 2020, the month before the pandemic hit Texas."

According to the TWC, nearly 45 percent of posted jobs offer wages greater than $15.50 per hour. Approximately 76 percent pay more than $11.50 per hour. Only 2 percent of posted jobs pay around the minimum wage.

The Texas Real Estate Research Center has a wealth of economic information online for free.