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<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><img width="624" height="147" style="width:6.5in;height:1.5312in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01D674A2.19266940"></span></b><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">August 17, 2020<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><u><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans"">Idaho to continue economic rebound by participating in President Trump’s new lost wages program<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">Boise, Idaho – Governor Brad Little announced today the State of Idaho will participate in the Trump Administration’s new conservative plan to offer extended unemployment benefits in order to continue
our economic rebound.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">“Idaho still has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, thanks to the investments and creativity of Idaho’s businesses in safely reopening,”</span></b><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">
Governor Little said. <b>“We’re choosing to participate in President Trump’s new program as part of a comprehensive approach to our economic rebound, which includes small business grants and return-to-work incentives.”</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">President Donald Trump issued an executive memorandum earlier this month creating the Lost Wages Assistance program and replacing the recently expired Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program,
which paid an extra $600 per week to those receiving unemployment benefits.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans";color:black">Under the new program, Idahoans receiving a weekly benefit amount of at least $100 and who self-certify they are unemployed due to COVID-19 will receive the extra $300 per week.</span>
The <span style="font-family:"Open Sans";color:black">Governor intends to seek five weeks of assistance and will evaluate again after that point.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans";color:black">To ensure individuals who need it most are receiving the new benefit, Governor Little directed the Idaho Department of Labor to identify ways to ensure the $300 per week in additional
benefits is also provided to individuals who receive less than $100 per week in unemployment benefits.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">“Idaho’s economy is open, and most Idahoans have returned to work safely. However, the number of available jobs reported in Idaho is still lower than the number of unemployed Idahoans. President
Trump’s new conservative plan ensures struggling American families can continue to pay their mortgages and avoid debt, which helps stabilize consumer spending and prevent a deeper recession,”</span></b><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""> Governor Little
said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">Idaho is finalizing its application to FEMA this week, and payments would start after FEMA approval. Payments will be retroactive to August 1.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">The state’s participation in President Trump’s new program is part of Idaho’s comprehensive approach to continue strengthening the economy. To date, nearly 30,000 Idahoans have received Return to
Work incentives, saving taxpayer dollars and benefitting more than 4,800 businesses that needed workers back on the job. More than $75 million was distributed to 8,700 Idaho small businesses in cash payments of up to $10,000. The Idaho Rebound Cash Grants
helped the smallest of Idaho businesses impacted by COVID-19, from the self-employed to companies with under 50 employees. The state also made PPE available to small businesses and allowed local governments to use relief dollars to support businesses. In addition,
the new public safety initiative reduces property taxes for those in participating cities and counties.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">“Many Idahoans lost jobs and income this year due to the pandemic, and a lot of them had never encountered the unemployment line before. We want people working, and President Trump’s new conservative
plan strikes the right balance of supporting families while jobs continue to come back,”</span></b><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""> Governor Little added.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""># # #<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: Marissa Morrison Hyer, Press Secretary<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">208-943-1686 or </span>
<a href="mailto:marissa.morrison@gov.idaho.gov"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">marissa.morrison@gov.idaho.gov</span></a><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">--<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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