Unemployed Missourians received billions in COVID aid, auditor's report says

More than 600,000 Missourians received in excess of $4.9 billion in COVID-19 unemployment benefits through April of this year, according to a report released last week by Missouri Auditor Nicole Galloway.

The benefits were made available through several federal government programs, according to Galloway's report.

Several federal laws and executive actions in 2020 and 2021 provided for additional unemployment assistance, including the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act, Consolidated Appropriations Act and the American Rescue Plan.

Most assistance programs were scheduled to expire in September, but Gov. Mike Parson announced in May that Missouri would end participation in all pandemic-related unemployment benefits as of June 12.

According to Galloway's report, Missouri citizens received $4.94 billion in COVID-related unemployment benefits through April 30 that were funded by the federal government and administered by the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

Government agencies and not-for-profit organizations in Missouri received an additional $30.2 million through various federal programs intended to provide economic relief during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Galloway's full report, as well as a similar report issued in December, may be found online at www.auditor.mo.gov.

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