Connecticut Unemployment Help

Posted on April 14, 2009

Unemployed workers in Connecticut will receive some extra funding and job training. Click here to see Connecticut job listings.

Connecticut is slated to receive an additional $29.3 million in federal stimulus money to enhance unemployment benefits and job training for the thousands of residents who have lost their jobs. These funds are in addition to the $11 million the state received earlier this year, which increased unemployment by $25 per week.

Connecticut qualified for the additional funds through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by allowing workers to use their more recent earnings to qualify for benefits. The Connecticut Department of Labor is able to use the funds to pay for unemployment benefits, administer its unemployment insurance program or deliver employment services.

“This economic downturn continues to hurt families across the state,” Gov. M. Jodi Rell said in a press release. “The sudden loss of a job and breadwinner’s paycheck is a time of fearful uncertainty. Any and all relief we can provide for them – whether it is a modest increase of benefits or more opportunities for re-training – we will and must do.

“One of the essential objectives of the federal stimulus – and the priority of my administration – is to create new job opportunities,” Rell added. “These funds will allow us to help even more people and families on their road to economic recovery.”

Overall, the ARRA made $7 billion available for unemployment insurance modernization incentive payments to states that meet certain requirements. Each state can qualify for a share of the funds by showing its law includes those requirements or provisions.