December 17, 2020
Claims for Unemployment Compensation, Week Ending December 12
AUGUSTA - For the week ending December 12, the Maine Department of Labor recorded about 3,100 initial claims filed for state unemployment insurance, and 900 initial claims filed for federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). In total, approximately 3,900 people were filing an initial claim or reopening their unemployment claim.
About 13,900 weekly certifications, or continued claims, were filed last week for state unemployment, with another 17,200 weekly certifications filed under PUA. In addition, about 12,500 weekly certifications were filed for the federal Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program and 85 weekly certifications were filed for the state Extended Benefits program. Weekly certifications must be filed by claimants every week in order to continue to receive unemployment benefits.
Maine jobless claims spike amid virus surge msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Thousands of Mainers who could lose unemployment benefits if federal programs expire this month will receive payments under the state's new Pandemic Relief Program.
By Staff
Up to 42,000 jobless Mainers could soon receive one-time relief payments of $600 from the state to help offset the pending loss of federal unemployment benefits, Gov. Janet Mills announced Wednesday.
Unless Congress acts to continue the benefits, tens of thousands of Maine residents are expected to lose vital relief funds when two initiatives of the federal CARES Act the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation programs expire on Dec. 26.
Mills has authorized the state Department of Economic and Community Development to make payments using $25.2 million in CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Funds Maine has received from the federal government, according to a news release.