Extended jobless benefits to end for 2,500 Idahoans
Idaho workers receiving federally financed extended unemployment benefits will receive their final payment the week ending Dec. 28 under federal legislation that discontinues the program at the end of this year.
About 2,500 workers had active extended benefit claims during the last week of November. Between 100 and 150 claims are exhausted every week. The average payment, reduced 10.7 percent for the past two months by federal budget cuts, was $230. The reduction is being restored for the final payments in the month of December.
"Idaho's unemployment rate has dropped dramatically since November 2011 - from 8.8 percent to 6.7 percent in October," unemployment insurance benefits bureau chief Josh McKenna said. "And while competition for available jobs remains stiff, workforce experts in our 25 local offices are available to help job seekers gain a competitive edge by improving their resumes and honing their interview skills."
The Department of Labor will notify affected claimants by letter in mid-December.
Latest statistics from the Conference Board, a business think tank, still show more than two unemployed Idaho workers for every job posted in October. That number doubles, however, when it includes frustrated, discouraged or part-time workers who want a full-time job.
Since extended benefits began in mid-2008, about 100,000 Idaho workers have collected more than $787 million under the extended benefit program that kicked in after regular state benefits of 10 to 26 weeks. Another $68 million in supplemental benefits was provided under a second program terminated last year.
About $1.45 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 workers who exhausted regular benefits. As Idaho's jobless rate declined, extensions have been cut back several times to a current maximum of 14 to 37 weeks.
In addition to assistance with resumes and interview techniques, Labor's local offices offer information on training resources for upgrading work skills, advice on overcoming barriers to employment and tips on using social media to network into new jobs.