Biden administration officials say enhanced unemployment benefits will expire September 6

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Labor Secretary Marty Walsh say unemployment benefits increased in response to the coronavirus pandemic will expire next month as planned, even as cases of coronavirus are surging with the Delta variant. However, they said President Joe Biden believes the pandemic exposed "serious problems" with the current unemployment system that require immediate reform, and the president is calling on Congress to address the issue when it returns from recess as part of the budget reconciliation process.

The pandemic-related $300 increase in weekly benefits as well as programs implemented for those who do not qualify for traditional unemployment benefits or have been unemployed long term as extended under the American Rescue Plan are set to expire on September 6. In the letter sent to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal Thursday, Yellen and Walsh said the benefits were always intended to be temporary and it was "appropriate" for the $300 benefit boost to expire.