Job Search News

Finding jobs in Rhode Island has become more difficult over the last year. During March approximately 10.5 percent of the state’s population was without work. This is particularly significant when one considers that a year ago only 6.8 percent of Rhode Islanders were unable to find jobs.

Although the state’s unemployment rate did not rise during the month of March, staying stable at 10.5 percent for the second month, this was the first time in over a year that the number of people without work in Rhode Island didn’t increase. Since there are currently so many people in the state without jobs, the state Governor’s Office of Economic Recovery and Reinvestment and the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training recently announced the extension of unemployment benefits.

According to a recent press release, 2,600 individual who are currently without Rhode Island jobs who were previously determined ineligible for extended benefits will now be collecting unemployment. Through an option in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act the state has been able to offer this relieve to these residents.

This extension will continue until January 1st of next year, a fact that those effected by will be notified about through the mail. The American Recover and Reinvestment Act will allow the effected Rhode Islanders to receive their extended benefits through the federal unemployment insurance trust fund. Payments will begin to be sent out sometime this week and will be retroactive back through February 22nd of this year until present.

“By expanding the window of eligibility for State Extended Benefits, we can provide much needed assistance to many long-term unemployed who are struggling to find jobs in this most difficult economy.” Governor Donald L. Carcieri said in the release.

Those who will be receiving the benefits must continue to search for full-time employment. According to the press release these individuals will have to fill out a work search form that shows they have had three work search contacts every week. The form will then have to be submitted to the department and authenticated before the benefits can be issued through the state’s automated TeleServe system.

Tags: Rhode Island Jobs

This entry was posted on Friday, May 15th, 2009 at 10:30 pm and is filed under Job Search. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.