LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Federal enhanced unemployment benefits end in less than 24 hours, leaving thousands of Kentuckians stranded on the sidelines. Local business owners hope they'll see more applications as a result, after having struggled for months during the pandemic.
What You Need To Know
- Sept. 4 is the last day Kentuckians will receive federal enhanced unemployment benefits
- The expiration will leave more than 35,000 Kentuckians without income from unemployment insurance
- Hi-Five Doughnuts is a local Louisville business struggling to find employees due to the pandemic
- Owners are optimistic that they'll see more applications and hires in the coming days and weeks
Female-owned-and-operated Hi-Five Doughnuts has been serving a variety of tasty pastries since 2013. Lately, the business isn’t struggling with what they serve, but with who’s serving it.
“When you're writing your business plan, you don't put in a pandemic because this is the first we've ever experienced something like this. So we're just glad people still want to eat doughnuts,” said Annie Harlow, co-owner of Hi-Five Doughnuts.
Harlow said the store has always run on a small employee base, but never like this.
“Right now we employ four people and 50% of those people [are owners.] So really we are only, we have a staff of two and it has been pushing a boulder up a mountain,” Harlow said.
She said it's leaving an emotional and physical strain on employees.
“It's just hard. I've got a toddler, I get up at 2:20 in the morning, I get home at the end of the day, she wants to play, my husband goes to work, I'm tired,” said Leslie Wilson, co-owner of Hi-Five Doughnuts.
But Harlow and Wilson are optimistic for change and more potential hires, as enhanced unemployment benefits are set to expire on Sept. 4 for Kentuckians.
According to the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, the expiration will leave close to 35,000 people without income from unemployment insurance and another 13,000 people will be left with reduced benefits as the program ends.
“I would take those benefits up until the very last drop, but now that is going to be over, yeah I do hope that the restaurants in general will start to see more people coming to work there again,” Wilson said.
The duo hopes that their passion for pastries inspires others to get into their line of work.
“We just hope that we get people who want to apply. I mean we're willing to do all the work, obviously we love it, it would just be nice to share our work with others and give them a paycheck,” Wilson said.
If you’re interested in applying to Hi-Five Doughnuts or want more information on the business, visit their website or call (502) 409-5584.