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New Unemployment Benefit Requirements go Into Effect Next Week

Department of Labor and Workforce Development

As of the week of September 21st, Alaskans filing for unemployment insurance benefits must report their work search efforts.

Currently there are three major criteria a person must meet in order to qualify for unemployment insurance: wage credits from an employer that is subject to unemployment insurance laws, total gross income of at least $2,500 eared over two calendar quarters of your base period, and continuing eligibility for each week claimed.  The last part is what is being altered.  Eligibility means being able, available and actively seeking full time work. 

The Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 will be going into effect next week.  It requires those claiming benefits to report two valid employer work search contacts for each week that benefits are claimed. 

Assistant director of the unemployment insurance program at the Employment Security Division Patsy Westcott says unemployment benefits has always required some form of proof that jobs are being looked for.  The difference, she says, is that now the Department of Labor and Workforce Development will be collecting that information on a week to week basis. 

“The act also extended the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Program to continue to pay benefits through the end of last year. It also, one of the changes in the act, was states had to implement and make mandatory as part of the Emergency Unemployment Compensation eligibility clients had to participate in reemployment services. The pieces of the act were designed to really focus on those individuals that were/are temporarily unemployed and really getting them back into the labor market, connecting them with resources so that they could become gainfully employed. And the work search piece of it was just one of those provisions.”

Alaskans with questions on the update or in search for employment services can  visit the Alaska Job Centers website at www.job.alaska.gov or call toll free at 877-724-2539.