States tap federal aid to shore up empty unemployment funds

Dan Mehan, president and CEO of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, stands outside the chamber's office near the state Capitol in Jefferson City, Missouri, on May 24, 2021. The chamber supported Gov. Mike Parson's decision to use $300 million of federal coronavirus relief funds to shore up the state's unemployment insurance trust fund. (AP Photo/David A. Lieb)

Dan Mehan, president and CEO of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, stands against a backdrop that the chamber has used for virtual meetings during the coronavirus pandemic at its office in Jefferson City, Missouri, on May 24, 2021. The chamber supported Gov. Mike Parson's decision to use $300 million of federal coronavirus relief funds to shore up the state's unemployment insurance trust fund. (AP Photo/David A. Lieb)

California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at Hanzo Sushi Thursday, April 29, 2021, in San Fernando, Calif. Businesses could be spared billions of dollars of higher taxes in coming years as a result of federal coronavirus relief funds flowing to the states. Newsom announced a budget plan this spring that would use $1.1 billion from the latest federal COVID-19 relief law to bolster a depleted unemployment compensation accounts. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, file)

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announces an expansion of vaccine eligibility during a news conference on Thursday, March 18, 2021 in Annapolis, Md. Businesses could be spared billions of dollars of higher taxes in coming years as a result of federal coronavirus relief funds flowing to the states. Hogan announced a budget plan this spring that would use $1.1 billion from the latest federal COVID-19 relief law to bolster a depleted unemployment compensation accounts. (AP Photo/Brian Witte)

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf speaks at an event Wednesday, May 12, 2021, in Mechanicsburg, Pa. Businesses could be spared billions of dollars of higher taxes in coming years as a result of federal coronavirus relief funds flowing to the states. Business representatives are encouraging Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration and the Republican-led Legislature to use federal coronavirus relief money to restore the state's unemployment fund. (AP Photo/Marc Levy)