Anecdotes is not evidence. And the arguments made in April can be tested for continued validity.
But I've figured out what I was looking for.
But, if you want me to tell you what I think? No, it's not free rent and free above market pay.
First, eviction may be postponed, but no one has forgiven rent or mortgages. And the current level of state+PUA isn't all that high currently. But if that were the case, how do you explain VT where UI is far more generous than most and they have a far lower unemployment rate, today. So, are those liberals just harder workers and not. "Marxist"? Lol. Must be Florida and Texas where they're lazy af.
So we can test the arguments in the paper I posted and it's primary authorships. Stanford, Yale and Brookings to see if they still hold.
For example, it's true that workers can't just decide to not return to work and collect unemployment from former employers. (theres a certifying mechanism) but, If the laying-off employer hasn't recalled employees they don't need to find exemption to the recall or forfeit the UI. Yer, many employers aren't recalling employees, but trying to recruit fresh. Who's fault is that, then?
Or, a recalled employee can decline and keep UI if they have a qualified event. Qualifying events include lack of child care or getting Covid. So, both are very possible, atm
Next, many fired employees went and found other employement - because they didn't know the duration of Covid. Or, they didn't trust UI or former employer or just couldn't get it because the state programs were overwhelmed. (if you want anecdotes abound here too). Some significant number if workers shifted industries because the labor markets are tight across the board, not just in min wage jobs where UI + PUA >100% of prior wage.
And finally, yes. Some workers are committed fraud by getting a recall and not working or finding other ways to scam the system. Massive fraud being prosecuted, but the other reasons are more nuanced and backed by data.
In short, the data from more studies than my own dont support free rent and get-rich unemployment pay