This weekend, a lot of people are going to be upset. SNAP benefits for able-bodied adults without dependents are tightening up.
Critics say it’s cruel. They say it will hurt people. They say the state is turning its back on the vulnerable.
I see it differently.
If you’re able to work, you should work. That’s not harsh. That’s common sense.
Right now, Nevada businesses are still struggling to fill jobs.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Nevada continues to face higher unemployment than many other states, even as employers report thousands of open positions in hospitality, construction, healthcare, and retail.
Anyone who drives past a shopping center in Las Vegas or Henderson can see the “Now Hiring” signs in the windows. Something isn’t lining up.
We’ve seen this movie before.
In 2021, during the pandemic, the federal government added $300 per week to unemployment checks. Twenty-six Republican-led states chose to end those extra payments early.
What happened next?
A study from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco found employment grew faster in the states that ended benefits early.
Researchers at the University of Chicago’s Becker Friedman Institute also concluded that ending the extra payments led to significant increases in job-finding.
Jobs didn’t suddenly appear out of thin air. The incentive changed. When the extra money stopped, more people went back to work.
We saw a similar pattern after the Great Recession.
Emergency unemployment programs expired at the end of 2013. In 2014, the national unemployment rate fell from about 6.7 percent to under 6 percent within a year.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated that extended benefits slightly reduced job-seeking while they were active, and that their expiration nudged people back into the workforce.
Again, not magic. Incentives.
Even go back to the 1996 welfare reform signed by President Bill Clinton.
Work requirements and time limits were added. Welfare rolls dropped by more than 50 percent in the following years. Employment among single mothers rose sharply.
This isn’t about calling anyone lazy. It’s about understanding human nature.
If government pays you not to work, some people will delay taking a job. Not everyone. But some. And that’s enough to distort the labor market.
Here in Nevada, we’ve been talking nonstop about workforce shortages.
We’ve heard about long waits at government offices. We’ve seen businesses cut hours because they can’t staff up. We’ve also seen unemployment rates that remain stubbornly high compared to the national average.
That should concern all of us.
SNAP is supposed to be a safety net. Not a lifestyle. Not a permanent alternative to employment for able-bodied adults with no dependents.
Critics argue that cutting benefits will push people into hardship. I don’t dismiss that concern. The goal isn’t to hurt people. The goal is to move people from dependency to dignity.
There’s dignity in earning a paycheck. There’s dignity in providing for yourself. There’s dignity in knowing you don’t need a government card to buy groceries.
Nevada families who get up early, drive across town, and work long shifts are paying for these programs through their taxes. They deserve a system that encourages work, not one that quietly replaces it.
We can care about people and still believe in accountability. We can offer help and still expect effort.
If history is any guide, as benefits tighten, job applications will rise. Employers will fill openings. Nevada’s unemployment rate could start moving in the right direction.
Not because politicians passed a flashy bill. Because incentives changed.
Sometimes the most compassionate thing we can do is expect more from each other.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. Digital technology was used in the research, writing, and production of this article. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
