Millions of jobless Americans risk losing benefits

Washington

MILLIONS of Americans will see their unemployment benefits disappear at the end of the year unless Congress extends pandemic-related programmes that made the aid available to a wider swathe of the workforce and for a longer period of time.

The looming expiration would spark the most substantial reduction to unemployment benefits since the end of July, when a US$600 weekly supplement - also added as part of the Cares Act - expired. And with coronavirus infections surging, some economists caution that job losses could rise during the winter, increasing the need for support.