Advocates for North Carolina workers say the unemployed need higher and longer jobless benefits from the state more than ever now that additional federal benefits created for the COVID-19 pandemic have expired. Well over 100,000 displaced workers in the state can no longer receive federal benefits that ended this month, including an additional $300 per week. On Monday, Democratic Sen. Wiley Nickel urged Republican colleagues to pass legislation to raise maximum state benefits from $350 to $500 a week. GOP lawmakers have been cool to similar proposals in the past. Other speakers at a news conference say child care and job training are issues.