North Carolina ended its own long-term unemployment benefits last summer, making the state a possible glimpse into what might happen if Congress quit authorizing the perpetual extensions. The unemployment rate in North Carolina dropped precipitously after benefits were not extended, and its rate is falling much faster than the national rate. Nationwide, the rate is dropping largely because people are dropping out of the labor force and it’s not clear how much that’s true in North Carolina. Either way, however, slowing down the gravy train certainly didn’t hurt, which is a lesson Congress would do well to heed.