The White House opens the door to boosting unemployment benefits past July - Business Insider

The White House is opening the door to a partial extension to the federal boost in unemployment benefits, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday.

Read more: The $600 weekly coronavirus unemployment boost is set to end in July.

Many economists say the $600 federal supplement has provided a critical lifeline to people grappling with joblessness in a feeble economy, helping prompt quicker rebounds in consumer spending.

National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow said last month that the $600 benefit would be allowed to expire at the end of July.

The federal $600 boost has been added on top of a state's unemployment benefits, which usually replaces around half of a person's wages.

Depending on its level, significant amounts of unemployed people could still receive more from the government than their past jobs.