Comparison of the unemployment increase of $ 300 and $ 400

A weekly increase of $ 300 in weekly unemployment benefits would be in addition to standard state benefits.

Workers received an average of $ 324 per week in state benefits in the third quarter of last year, according to the most recent data from the United States Department of Labor. This assistance replaced about 38% of their average pre-layoff salary, which was $ 843 per week.

According to a CNBC analysis, an additional $ 300 per week would bring that replacement rate to 74%.

A weekly increase of $ 400 would have pushed it up to 85%.

By comparison, a bonus of $ 600 per week offered by the CARES Act last year replaced 100% of lost wages for the average jobless worker.

The $ 300 supplement would go further in some states, especially those that tend to pay more meager benefits.

In Mississippi, for example, the average worker received $ 190 in weekly benefits in January, the least among all states, according to the US Department of Labor. An extra $ 300 per week there would more than double their current allowance.

Massachusetts, on the other hand, paid the average person $ 521 a week, the highest amount among states in January. A $ 300 improvement in Massachusetts would offer a larger overall payout ($ 851 per week) compared to the Mississippi worker, but would come a long way from doubling the initial aid.

More than 18 million Americans were receiving unemployment benefits as of mid-February, according to the Department of Labor.