Unemployment benefits end for thousands
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January 1, 2013 |
Federal extended unemployment benefits have been
terminated for over 6,000 jobless Idaho workers.
The extension, implemented in mid-2008 to limit
the impact of the recession, expired last week.
Workers receiving extensions will get their
final payment this week for the work search they
performed last week.
Regular state benefits of 10 to 26 weeks
continue for some 15,000 workers who have yet to
find new jobs.
“Idaho’s unemployment rate has dropped
dramatically over the past 16 months – from 8.9
percent to 6.8 percent in November,” Deputy
Director John McAllister of the Idaho Department
of Labor said. “But competition for available
jobs remains stiff, and consultants at the Labor
Department’s 25 local offices can help workers
improve their résumés and hone their interview
skills to get an edge on securing that new job.”
Just over 6,300 workers received extended
benefits last week. The payments averaged just
over $248.
Since the program began, 95,000 Idaho workers
have shared $900 million in federally financed
extended benefits. Moody’s Economy.com estimates
that every dollar paid in extended unemployment
benefits generates $1.61 in economic activity
because benefit checks are immediately spent
locally on rent, utilities, food, clothes for
the family and other necessities.
About $1.3 billion has been paid in regular
state benefits since the beginning of 2008, a
month after the recession began.
At their peak, extended benefits added a maximum
of 27 to 73 weeks of payments to the 10 to 26
weeks provided under the traditional state
benefit program. As Idaho’s jobless rate has
declined, the extension has been trimmed back
three times in 2012 so that the maximum
additional payments were 14 to 37 weeks, and all
extended benefits have now stopped.
At the peak of the recession more than 41,000
workers were receiving jobless benefits each
week. That number has fallen to 15,000 on
regular benefits.
In addition to assistance on résumés and
interview techniques, the 25 local Labor offices
around the state offer training resources to
upgrade work skills, advice on overcoming
barriers to employment and tips on using social
media to network into a new job.
More information is available at
http://labor.idaho.gov/dnn/idl/JobSeekers.aspx.
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