Three personal tales reveal serious flaws in Maine’s system for filing and paying claims.
unemployment
Posted inBusiness, Local & State, News
Maine workers, labor groups warn of widespread suffering unless federal jobless aid is extended
The added $600-per-week benefit has saved thousands of Maine households from poverty, but it is due to expire soon, which could create economic calamity, advocates warn.
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Posted inBusiness, Local & State, News
Jobless aid tops $1 billion in Maine as laid-off workers prepare to resume job searches
More than 87,000 weekly unemployment claims were paid out last week, as the state prepares to require claimants to start looking for work.
Posted inOp-eds, Opinion
Ex-Maine labor chief: Shoring up our unemployment system requires more than state action alone
States need more federal funding and flexibility, as well as a national strategy to protect and support front-line workers.
Posted inBusiness, Local & State, News
Data reveal Maine’s broad participation in federal emergency loan program
The Paycheck Protection Program has delivered more than $2 billion to companies in Maine, but recipients were kept secret until a limited disclosure by the federal government Monday.
Posted inBusiness, Local & State, News
Employers say worker-retention program riddled with problems
Some participants complain of missed payments and poor customer service, but the state says WorkShare is new to many, and more education on its proper use may be needed.
Posted inBusiness, Local & State, News
Maine jobless claims continue to ease amid phased reopening of businesses
Over 4,000 Mainers filed new claims for jobless benefits last week, even as the state prepared to allow the vast majority of businesses to open back up.
Posted inBusiness, Local & State, News
Maine extends maximum length of jobless benefits by 13 weeks
Out-of-work Mainers can now receive as many as 39 consecutive weeks of benefits through state and federal assistance programs.
Posted inBusiness, Local & State, News
State’s fraud investigations have derailed some Mainers’ federal unemployment benefits
The short-staffed Maine Department of Labor has had to delay payments and a program for those who have exhausted benefits, the state’s labor commissioner told lawmakers Thursday.
Posted inOp-eds, Opinion
Rep. Fecteau: Unemployment system failed Mainers in 2017 and once more in 2020
Though $802 million in benefits have been paid out, too many Mainers remain in limbo because of a faulty system installed under the LePage administration.