A new stimulus deal is brewing ? here's what that could mean for unemployment benefits

"Extreme numbers of people have been out of work for a long time and thus are at the end of their rope."Ideally, Stettner said, Congress would approve another six months' worth of the core benefits provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security, or CARES, Act. That could provide a financial bridge for workers until vaccinations become widely available, at which point businesses like restaurants and hotels could again start rehiring. The expiration of vital pandemic unemployment insurance benefits on Dec 26 will leave 12 million workers without a safety net, and over 4 million others will have already exhausted their benefits by this cutoff.Work by @pelhamprog @ENPancotti @TCFdotorghttps://t.co/1eVLp0negnThe unemployment programs due to shut off on December 26 are the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, which provides aid to self-employed and gig workers, and the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program, which provides an additional 13 weeks of benefits beyond the typical 26 weeks that states provide unemployed workers. In other words, unemployed workers could see their benefits extended through March instead of expiring at the end of December.The second plan proposed this week comes from Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, who described it as "targeted" aid.