Yellen and the Minister of Labor stated their positions in a letter to members of Congress

According to the letter, states can still use anti-epidemic aid funds to help the unemployed.

In a letter to lawmakers on Thursday, the Biden administration said supplementary unemployment benefits should be allowed to expire in more than two weeks as planned.However, in view of the epidemic in Delta, state and local governments can continue to use anti-epidemic assistance funds to provide unemployment assistance after the deadline.

Treasury Secretary Yellen and Labor Secretary Marty Walsh wrote, "in some states with a large number of unemployed, it may be reasonable to allow the unemployed to continue to receive aid for a longer period of time, which will give them more time to find work." The Delta strain may pose short-term challenges to the local economy and labour market. "

The White House is still reluctant to approve an extension of the $300-a-week supplementary unemployment benefit program, which expires on September 6.。

Many Republicans believe that replenishing unemployment benefits makes Americans reluctant to return to work, and Republican states urge the government to take action to end the aid as soon as possible. The White House disputed such claims, arguing that the mismatch between record job openings and high unemployment was mainly due to issues such as health care and parenting.

The US government says that although it does not ask Congress to extend supplementary unemployment benefits, state and local governments can use the money they passed in March to continue to provide assistance to the unemployed. The U.S. government will also announce a $47 million subsidy for re-employment services.