Montana Offers $1,200 to Unemployed to Tackle Labor Shortage

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte is seeking to lure residents back into the workforce with a $1,200 payment, blaming an expansion of unemployment benefits for a labor shortage in the state.

On Tuesday, the Republican governor announced a plan to give people the one-time stipend if they give up unemployment benefits and work for at least four weeks, his office said in a statement. In late June, the state of about 1.1 million people will also stop issuing the $300 in supplemental unemployment benefits that have been provided during the pandemic.

Greg Gianforte

Photographer: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

The $1,200 incentive will be funded by the ...