The U.S. Department of Labor has clarified employees working reduced hours because of the pandemic are eligible for federal unemployment assistance payments.
In January, Guam Department of Labor Director David Dell Isola announced employees working reduced hours at businesses that remain open were no longer qualified for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance due to federal guidelines. The assistance program last year paid benefits to unemployed residents and also those who remained employed but worked fewer hours due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero on Feb. 1 wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Labor, asking it to allow workers with reduced hours to qualify for assistance payments.
Pierre, SD, USA / DRGNews
Feb 25, 2021 9:09 AM
During the week of Feb. 14-20, a total of 439 initial weekly claims for state unemployment benefits were processed by the Department of Labor and Regulation. This is a decrease of 169 claims from the prior week’s total of 608.
A total of $1.5 million was paid out in state benefits, in addition to $1.4 million in Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), $94,000 in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and $303,000 in Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) benefits.
The Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund balance was $155.1 million on Feb. 21.
The latest number of continued state claims is 5,453 for the week ending Feb. 13, a decrease of 208 from the prior week’s total of 5,661. This indicates the number of unemployed workers eligible for and receiving benefits after their initial claim.
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