Long-term jobless, single parents and older workers brace for early unemployment shutoff

Muhammad Ifzal, 42, lost his job as a medical lab technician a few months before the pandemic. And when the crisis shuttered the economy, it was difficult to find work because medical procedures slowed down. The Irving, Texas, resident said he's now dealing with another unexpected shock — an early end to enhanced unemployment benefits in his state. 

"I was so depressed," Ifzal said, who will lose all his benefits on June 26. That's when Texas is terminating several programs created by Congress to help millions of workers who lost their jobs due to the pandemic. "We didn't expect this kind of news. It was expected to go through September 4." Texas is one of 25 states — all with Republican governors — that have opted to curtail enhanced unemployment benefits two months early, citing difficulties being reported by some employers in finding workers. Lawmakers who are shutting off benefits early have typically pointed to the hiring needs of newly reopened businesses in hospitality, such as restaurants, that are finding a smaller pool of job candidates.