"We're at a phase where, to get this economic recovery really going, we need to get people back to work," says Ohio Lt. Governor Jon Husted.

It's why Ohio joined several other states in opting out of the federal unemployment bonus that began during the height of the pandemic.

"The Governor (Mike DeWine) announced that starting June 26, that $300 bonus will be ended in Ohio," Husted said Thursday.

The Ohio Restaurant Association is calling it "an appropriate step toward a full recovery."

Jorge Carreno, owner of Margherita's Grill in Girard, sees the move as a double-edged sword.

"The people who have come here (seeking work recently), they don't put much effort in because they have money coming in from another source," he said. "I think we're going to get hit hard businesswise, being busy with no help, and then it will happen the other way, we'll have so much help but not enough customers."

Many argue the extra money keeps people from seeking work.
A study from the National Bureau of Economic Research, however, shows no meaningful disincentive to work.
Carreno is giving his employees an incentive of his own.

"I've been boosting a little bit of a kick with stimulus money for the people who are already here so they don't go anywhere else," he said. 

But for those still looking for work, Husted says the help is there for the taking.

"Ohio is providing free training and free resources to help you prepare for one of those great jobs. We knew the pandemic was going to come to an end, and we were going to need an educated and trained workforce to do that."

You can find more about those resources on the Ohio Means Jobs website.