May 6, 2021 3:30 a.m.

Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with other lawmakers, have introduced the Long-Term Unemployment Elimination Act.

A release said the legislation would create a subsidized jobs program that would help American’s who have been unemployed long-term, finally get back to work.

The release said even before the pandemic hit, over 1 million Americans were looking for work for over six months and could not find a job. That number rose to over 4 million people in the wake of the pandemic. In light of those circumstances, President Biden’s American Jobs Plan specifically endorses a subsidized jobs program to help long-term unemployed and underemployed people get back to work.

The release said the legislation would help by sharing the cost of some of the wages for employers who create jobs for those who have been out of work for six months or more. Eligible employees would be 18 years old and older, authorized to work in the United States, and have been seeking work for at least 4 weeks.

The legislation is supported by a wide array of organizations and advocacy groups.

An overview of the legislation is linked: https://www.vanhollen.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Fact%20Sheet-%20Long-Term%20Unemployment%20Elimination%20Act%20of%2020211.pdf