No, it isn’t clear that unemployment checks are the main reason jobs go unfilled

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, Washington has committed over half a trillion dollars to cushion laid-off workers from economic pain. The most recent move came in the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan that added $300 a week to unemployment checks.

The money provided welcome relief to millions of households. But now a debate is raging over whether the additional unemployment benefits are deterring people from seeking work.

"We need to stop paying people more to sit at home than to work," said U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., sponsor...