This past week, states like New York and New Jersey finally decided to accept Trump’s offer of $400 per week in Federal subsidy for every unemployed  in their states. They realized, based on the pressure from their residents, that taking $300 or $400 additional was better not only for the unemployed, it was also good for their states’ economies.

When COVID-19 Federal Assistance of $600 per week for unemployed Americans seemed to be in peril because of the Democrat, House Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senator Chuck Schumer, and Republican, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows were not coming to a compromise, Trump made his move. On August 8, 2020, he signed four orders to help the working-class families in financial peril.

One of the four orders will allow an assistance of $400 per week for every American on unemployment. The amount of $300 of this will come from the new Federal allocation and $100 from the respective states, drawing on the COVID-19 money already assigned to them.

If the states move fast, Americans will see money in their unemployment benefits soon. While this amount is reduced from the untenable $600 per week, compare it to what the Obama Administration paid during the Great Recession of 2009. It was only $25 per week in Federal assistance to the unemployed; $400 per week by that measure is a very substantial amount.

Another order from Trump is designed to help those who are employed. This gives those making up to $104,000 a year a payroll deduction holiday (Social Security reduction) until December 31, 2020. This will amount to approximately 7% increase in take-home pay for the eligible Americans. The deferred amount will be pardoned by Trump during his second term.

Trump has also signed an executive order that will protect renters from being evicted for the lack of paying rent because the moratorium on evictions that was given during the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act) had expired on July 24, 2020. This executive order will protect tenants until December 31, 2020.

The fourth executive order signed by Trump is aimed to help those holding student loans. This order will allow them to defer payments and waive interests on all student loans held by the Department of Education until December 31, 2020.

(The author is Professor of Management, Stillman School of Business, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ 07079, USA. He can be reached at  Ad.amar@shu.edu)