Market Extra: It’s a ‘race to the bottom’ as states end unemployment benefits too soon, critics say

One year after the pandemic locked down economies, leaving millions of Americans out of work, over a dozen states are taking steps to curtail jobless benefits, a move that some analysts said risks deepening poverty and inequality, and puts those states in a worse position for future downturns.

At last count, 18 states have announced that they’ll opt out of the supplementary unemployment benefits provided by the federal CARES act, while another eight are considering rolling back their own state programs, according to a report…