Dane Eagle

A significant portion of the $70 million will go toward expanding mentorship programs for youths and funding grants designed to help fathers.

While the state has ramped up efforts to push people back into the labor force, it has also seen the number of people leaving jobs jump from 193,000 in Sept. 2020 to 264,000 in Sept. 2021.

One of the biggest hurdles remains finding people to work in the leisure and hospitality industries, which were among the hardest-hit fields during the pandemic.

State and business officials have argued that the $300 a week in federal aid is keeping people from returning to jobs.