Weekly Advocacy Recap—Job Gains and PPP Loan Extension

July 6, 2020

Welcome to the ISSA Advocacy Recap, our regular roundup of the latest public policy issues impacting the cleaning industry. This week’s recap touches on the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan extension, the June jobs report, minimum wage increases, and more.

House Clears Bill to Extend PPP Loans for Small Businesses
A day after the Senate passed a last-minute extension of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan application deadline, the House did the same Wednesday, clearing the bill for the president. Businesses now have until August 8 to apply for the aid. The PPP program was very popular early in the pandemic to help sustain small businesses during the mass shutdown orders due to the COVID-19 outbreak. According to CNBC, the extension is “helpful to those who haven’t applied,” but it “didn’t mean much for the thousands of small businesses…[which] are past that and in desperate need of a PPP2 to keep surviving as the pandemic is not letting up.”

Record Jobs Gain of 4.8 Million in June Smashes Expectations; Unemployment Rate Falls to 11.1%
As the U.S. continued its reopening from the coronavirus pandemic, nonfarm payrolls rose by 4.8 million jobs in June, much better than the predicted increase of 2.9 million workers, according to the June jobs report. Moreover, the unemployment rate fell to a crisis low of 11.1%, which is also an improvement over the 12.4% estimate. The number of people on temporary layoff fell by 4.8 million in June to 10.6 million after a decrease of 2.7 million people in May. However, since the survey numbers are from the middle of the month, these numbers do not account for the suspension or rollbacks in regions hit by the recent resurgence in cases.

Illinois, Oregon, Nevada, and Washington, D.C. Raised Their Minimum Wage
On July 1, Illinois, Oregon, Nevada, and Washington, D.C. raised their minimum wages. Illinois increased its rate to US$10 an hour. Oregon’s standard minimum wage rose to $12 ($11.50 for nonurban counties), and Nevada’s rate hiked up to $9 for employees without health care ($8 if you have that perk). Washington, D.C. established a $15 an hour minimum wage. Eighteen municipalities—including Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Minneapolis—and three counties also increased their minimum wage Wednesday. In all, 24 states and 48 cities and counties have raised or will raise their minimum wages in 2020.