Jobless benefits extended

There is good news for Lincoln County’s unemployed who find themselves at the end of their jobless benefits — the federal government has approved an extension that could go as long as the end of the year.

In a county where joblessness hovers above 15 percent, the extension was good news at the Libby Job Service Center.

“Local residents will be notified by letter,” said Johnette G. Watkins, manager of the Kootenai Workforce Center.

Those letters should be received this week.

According to most recent figures available, of a county workforce that included 7,910, 6,681 are employed, leaving 1,229 jobless. Some of those people may not be looking for employment.

The extension of emergency unemployment benefits (EUC) was passed by Congress last week and subsequently signed by President Obama.

The program extends EUC benefits through Dec. 29 to those unemployed Montanans who qualify and contain some new requirements including in-person work search assessments for those claimants entering into emergency benefits and a gradual change in weeks available.

“The extension of EUC benefits continues to provide financial help to those Montanans who are still unemployed and continue to search for employment,” said Montana Labor Commissioner Keith Kelly.

The latest EUC extension includes a change in the number of weeks available based on each state’s unemployment rate. The emergency benefits are for people who have exhausted their regular state jobless benefits and do not include any additional weeks for those that have already exhausted regular and emergency benefits.

The final week of emergency benefits is the week of Dec. 29 as the program ends at that time.

Further information is available at uid.dli.mt.gov. At the official site you can get the latest information concerning federal emergency benefits, register for filing claims for benefits, and learn more about Montana’s UI program.