A sign at Jefferson Pointe this month. Previous Next Sunday, May 16, 2021 1:00 am Editorial Little evidence jobless aid root of worker shortage The claim: There's a worker shortage, and added unemployment benefits are pushing prospective employees to stay home. Federal weekly assistance of $300 added to approved unemployment claims during the pandemic is hurting businesses desperate for workers, some politicians and employers say. “You may need some of that stuff in places like New York, Seattle, San Francisco ... but it's a smokescreen,” U.S. Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., told Newsmax last week. “People are staying at home, watching Netflix, because the federal government is incentivizing (them) to do so.”