Have you been pounding the pavement, surfing the web, making cold calls, all in an effort to land a new job?
We have good news for you that might let you breathe a little easier. On Thursday, Gov. M. Jodi Rell announced that the state’s unemployed now qualify for an additional seven weeks of unemployment compensation -- bringing the total to a potential of 79 weeks of unemployment benefits.
This is good and bad news. Good news, you get money coming in. Bad news, the federal extension was awarded because Connecticut’s total unemployment rate has averaged 8 percent or higher over three consecutive months.
“These benefits offer the lifeline we need to help our families weather this economic storm,” Governor Rell said in a press release. “More than $150 million in unemployment benefits is currently being provided to our residents each month. While I am confident our nation will soon emerge from this recession, until we do recover and begin to create new jobs, we must provide assistance to those who have felt the brunt of this downturn.”
Local
Unemployment in Connecticut reached 8.4 percent in September, which is lower than the national rate of 9.8 percent.
For those of you who have exhausted your 72 weeks of benefits, the Labor Department will send you a letter to notify you of the additional High Extended Benefits (HEB), which you can register for in early November.
More information can be found on the state's Labor Department website.
