10/14/2024
Selective memory is the tendency to remember some things while purposely forgetting others, often by choice. Do you remember where you were when the shelter-in-place mandate began during the COVID-19 pandemic? The mass furloughs and layoffs as retail stores, restaurants, and offices shut down were hard to miss. If you do, then you probably recall your monthly income at the time and what you received in unemployment insurance (UI). If not, let me remind you.
The average UI check was about $387 per week. However, many overlook that those who were furloughed or laid off received an additional $600 per week in federal UI payments, raising the average monthly benefit to approximately $4,000—nearly double what some people earned pre-pandemic.
When you add the three stimulus checks totaling $3,200 to the $4,000 in monthly UI payments, it’s clear how this unexpected financial support had a profound psychological impact, leading many lower-income individuals to feel they were better off under the Trump administration.
Once the additional payments ended—particularly the extra $600 per week from the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program, which ran from March to July 2020—the sense of financial stability began to fade as the average weekly UI benefit reverted to $387.
Financial security, even if temporary, can significantly affect one’s perception of well-being. The relief measures during Trump’s administration, such as unemployment benefits and stimulus checks, are often credited to his term.
Many lower-income individuals who felt more stable may view the economy as stronger under Trump, selectively recalling these positives while minimizing any unfavorable economic developments. Our democracy is too important to lose to selective memory, which is why reminding people of the facts is crucial before November 5, 2024.
