In the wake of Governor Stitt’s withdrawal of the Oklahoma COVID-19 State of Emergency declaration, a new Return to Work Incentive has been announced for those in the state who are on unemployment.

The changes, which Stitt and Oklahoma Employment Security Commission (OESC) Executive Director Shelley Zumwalt presented on Monday, will be done in an effort to rebuild the state’s economy following the COVID-19 pandemic which rocked the world last year by encouraging greater participation in the workforce.

As a means to accomplish this, the state will be putting a stop to the enhanced unemployment benefits of about 90,000 Oklahomans on June 26, around 10 weeks before the September 6 federal deadline.

Alongside the changes to unemployment benefits, Stitt also announced a new $1,200 incentive which will be awarded to the first 20,000 Oklahoma workers who, after losing their federal benefits, maintain a full-time job for a minimum of six weeks.

Both Governor Stitt and Zumwalt assure that this is an essential step in getting the Oklahoma economy back on track, as Stitt stated, “Since our state has been open for business since last June, the biggest challenge facing Oklahoma businesses today is not reopening, its finding employees.” The reason for this, he stated, can be attributed to the continued extension of extra federal benefits, which will no longer be in effect following these changes.

Among the benefits which will be terminated is the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), and the Mixed Earners Unemployment Compensation (MEUC). Those eligible for the $1,200 incentive can begin applying on June 28.

“For Oklahoma to become a Top Ten state, workforce participation must be at a top level, and I am committed to doing what I can to help Oklahomans get off the sidelines and into the workforce,” said Stitt.