Congress failed to agree and pass a bill to renew an emergency federal unemployment program that expired on Dec. 28, cutting off 1.3 million jobless workers. Enacted in 2008 at the start of the recession, it provided up to 47 weeks of benefits for those still looking for work when their state unemployment benefits ran out. If the program isn’t revived, the impact could be significant—not just for the 1.3 million people losing a vital lifeline but on the broader economy. As people cycle in and out of the unemployment system this year, an additional 3.6 million workers will lose access to benefits if federal insurance isn’t restored, according to a December report by the White House Council of Economic Advisers. That’s a lot of misery and squandered economic potential.
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