Oklahoma governor announces end to extra unemployment money

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt says the state is ending a $300-a-week supplemental unemployment benefit next month.

Stitt made the announcement Monday at a trucking company in Oklahoma City. Stitt says he’s constantly hearing from employers in Oklahoma who are having trouble hiring workers for open positions.

In many cases, he says the unemployment benefits the workers are receiving are greater than what they could make on the job.

To incentivize workers, Stitt says he’ll sign an executive order providing a $1,200 payment to the first 20,000 workers who leave unemployment for a qualifying new job.