A NEW TYPE OF ALLOWANCE MIGHT BE PAID TO UNEMPLOYED DURING THE PANDEMIC

The author of the initiative was the head of the Federation Council Committee on Economic Policy Andrei Kutepov. The official believes that the payments to the unemployed during the pandemic were clearly insufficient to maintain the required standard of living.

We should recall that the amount of unemployment allowances has been equated to the subsistence minimum for several months. However, according to Kutepov, this is not enough.

Back in spring, Russian economists came out with a similar proposal, persistently offering the government to pay money to the population as a one-time financial aid – such a measure was introduced, in particular, in the United States.

The situation with the pandemic showed a significant increase in unemployment all over the country; by the end of 2020, according to the Ministry of Labor, up to 5.5-6 million unemployed are expected. In 47 regions, the growth of unemployment exceeded the indicators by five or more times. Employees of the Central Federal District were losing their jobs most often, and the lowest number of unemployed was recorded in the Far East.

At the same time, many Russians who have been left without work have families and children, therefore, in order to meet all current needs, citizens need to receive an allowance in the amount of at least three living wages, noted Kutepov.

The senator's initiative will soon be sent to the Presidential aide Maxim Oreshkin for further consideration.