[nugget]

All unemployed workers in the US receive the extra $600/week Federal benefit. Sometimes it takes time for the States to start paying (and they are particularly backlogged at the moment) but once approved, the amount paid is backdated to the filing date. Based on the extra Federal benefit, on average, any employee who was/is making less than $22/hour is better off on unemployment (exact number varies by State.) For this and other reasons, I imagine Instacart will have a hard time attracting workers.

[krazyk8s]

Exactly the case, it is taking an extreme amount of time in some states. I have family that lost a job, it took 5 weeks to begin receiving unemployment, and another week for the additional $600/week to come in.

On the plus side, that unemployment benefit is definitely helping with social distancing - with the additional benefits they are essentially making an additional $13/hour over the job they lost and I am sure are in no hurry to find a replacement.

[exolymph]

I think you're underestimating the number of people who need cash ASAP.