How Do I Sign Up For Unemployment In Maine

Do I Need To Look For A Job While Collecting Benefits

Update: New Hampshire has temporarily suspended the job search requirement due to COVID-19. If youre still receiving benefits when the requirement is reinstated, youll receive a notification and follow the process outlined below.

When a work search requirement is in effect, you are required to be available and actively seeking a new job. NHES does not require you to complete a specified number of job seeking activities in a particular week, but you will be expected to provide proof that you engaged in job seeking activities by keeping an accurate log of your efforts.

In addition to conducting your own job search, by law, you are required to register for the New Hampshire Job Match System .

The JMS allows job seekers to view jobs posted by employers and match skills to positions posted on national job boards and private industry websites. The JMS features a resumé and letter builder to generate a new resumé to be sent to employers. Job seekers can also explore the regional labor market for information such as the average weekly earnings for a position or the fastest growing occupations.

NHES has offices across the state. Each office has a resource center that assists job seekers with a wide range of services, tools and resources:

• Computers to be used in your job search
• The Job Match System
• Hearing Helper Assistive Listening Device and other assistive devices
• Staff to help with your job search and computer use

Mandatory workshops

Making Weekly Unemployment Benefit Claims In Maine

Approval of your initial claim for unemployment benefits is just the beginning of the unemployment compensation process for you. You need to file weekly claims with Maine Department of Labor to keep receiving benefit payments. The Maine Department of Labor describes the weekly claim-filing requirements in its Maine’s Unemployment Insurance Guide. The Maine agency website also has instructions on how to file for weekly benefits.

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Unemployment Texting Scam Alert

The Maine Department of Labor is warning the public of scammer’s attempts to phish individuals personal information via text message while posing as the Department. They will usually include links claiming to lead to information about unemployment benefits, which do not end in ‘.gov.

The Department is asking the public stay vigilant – it does not conduct business via text, and will never ask for sensitive information via social media or text message. If an individual receives a text message about unemployment benefits, or from someone claiming to be the Department of Labor or Bureau of Unemployment Compensation, it is a scam and should be ignored.

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Us Department Of Labor Confirms Forthcoming Vaccination Or Test Requirement Will Apply To Public Sector Employers In Maine

For Immediate Release: September 17, 2021

U.S. Department of Labor Confirms Forthcoming Vaccination or Test Requirement Will Apply to Public Sector Employers in Maine

Last week, President Biden announced that he has directed OSHA to develop a rule requiring all employers with 100 or more employees to ensure their workforce is fully vaccinated for COVID-19 or require any workers who remain unvaccinated to produce a negative COVID-19 test result on at least a weekly basis before coming to work. OSHA will issue an Emergency Temporary Standard to implement this requirement.

While this Emergency Temporary Standard applies to private employers nationwide, the Maine Department of Labor sought clarification from OSHA about the rule’s applicability to public employers because, under longstanding State law and a 2015 agreement with the Federal government – known as a “state plan,” Maine is required to adopt and enforce for public employers all of OSHAs occupational safety and health standards.

Under an approved OSHA plan, the Maine Department of Labor is designated as the state agency responsible for the development and enforcement of occupational safety and health standards applicable to state and local government employment throughout the state. Meanwhile, Federal OSHA enforces standards in Maines private sector employment.

Maine is one of 26 states and two territories to have a state plan agreement with the Federal government.

I Have Laid Off My Employees And They Have Requested That Their Paid Time Off Is Paid Out To Them Will This Affect Their Unemployment Benefits

If the employees have been truly laid off and are separated from employment with your business, then the payout of PTO will not count against unemployment insurance benefits . If the employees are on an unpaid leave of absence due to COVID-19 measures, they can apply for and receive unemployment benefits. If employees are receiving pay while on a leave of absence , they are not unemployed and would not collect UI on top of their earnings. New federal legislation was enacted March 18th on paid sick leave and paid family and medical leave.

There is more information for employees and employers on the website of U.S. DOL: on new federal paid sick leave or federal paid family and medical leave from U.S. DOL: .

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Maine Dept Of Labor To Begin Accepting Applications For Mixed Earners Unemployment Compensation Program

The MEUC program was created by the Continued Assistance for Unemployed Workers Act of 2020 and provides a $100 supplemental benefit to certain individuals who had both employment and self-employment prior to becoming unemployed during the pandemic. The program is payable for weeks ending January 2, 2021 through September 4, 2021.

The program is intended for claimants who had at least $5,000 in net self-employment income, however qualified for state unemployment insurance benefits resulting in their self-employment income not being included in their benefit calculation. Individuals receiving Pandemic Unemployment Assistance are not eligible for MEUC benefits because their self-employment income has already been taken into consideration.

Payments to eligible claimants will be retroactive. If eligible, claimants would receive MEUC for each week January 2 through September 4, 2021 for which they received unemployment benefits.

An individual must be eligible to receive at least one dollar of underlying unemployment benefits for the claimed week to receive the full $100 MEUC for that week.

How individuals can apply:

Those who may be eligible for the program will be notified with instructions on how to apply through the mail and in their account correspondence.

They can then:

• Log into their account at
• Select MEUC Application then Apply for MEUC
• Complete application and click on Upload Proof on MEUC Proof of Earnings page.

• pay-check stubs

How To File A Claim For Unemployment Benefits In Maine

You may file your claim for unemployment benefits online, by phone, or by mail. You can find online filing information, telephone contact information, and forms and addresses of local offices where you can file by mail, at the website of the Maine Department of Labor.

After you file, you will receive some paperwork from the DOL, including a monetary determination stating the wages reported by all of your employers during your base period and your weekly benefit amount.

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Is It Too Late To Apply For Unemployment Insurance

If youâve been laid off or furloughed, you can apply for unemployment benefits in your state. Once the state approves your claim, you can apply to receive whatever state benefits youâre entitled to. Because states cover 30% to 50% of a personâs wages, there isnât a single sum you could expect on a national basis. Each stateâs unemployment insurance office provides information to file a claim with the program in the state where you worked. Some claims may be filed in person, by phone or online, so itâs best to contact your stateâs office directly.

Eligibility criteria vary from state to state, but the general rule is that you should apply if youâve lost your job or been laid off through no fault of your own, including if it was due directly or indirectly to the pandemic. You can check on your stateâs requirements here. In February, the Department of Labor updated its unemployment eligibility requirements to include people who refused to return to work due to unsafe coronavirus standards.

As for self-employed workers and freelancers who are losing PUA coverage, some online groups are calling to extend pandemic unemployment programs through the crisis and offer more information.

Weâll continue to update this story as we receive more information.

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Im Now On Unemployment Due To A Covid

The Governors recent extension of the Civil Emergency due to COVID-19 has also extended the work search waiver for those who are unemployed. There are two groups each with different extensions:

Those who are not expecting to return to their previous employerwere required to search for work starting August 9, 2020 in order to continue receiving benefits. The department encourages everyone to use this extra week to create a Maine JobLink account, update their resume, and explore online CareerCenter services. The Maine JobLink can be found here:

Those who are expecting to go back to their previous employerdo not need to search for work until 30 days after the end of Maines Civil Emergency which the Governor recently extended to November 27th. Currently, this group of people do not need to start searching for other work until December 27th.

NOTE:Even with work search waived, individuals must still file a weekly claim in order to get unemployment payments.

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How Long Will My Unemployment Benefits Last In Maine

In Maine, you can receive unemployment benefits for a maximum of 26 weeks under state law.

In times of high unemployment, additional weeks of benefits may be available under a different federal program, the Extended Benefits program .

Each state sets its own rules for how long unemployment benefits last. Until quite recently, virtually all states offered a maximum of 26 weeks of benefits. In the last five or six years, however, some states have changed their rules on duration of benefits .

Workforce Conditions In Maine Continued To Gradually Improve In September

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 20, 2020Contact: Glenn Mills 207-621-5192

Workforce Conditions in Maine Continued to Gradually Improve in September

• Nonfarm payroll jobs increased 4,700 in September
• 53,900 jobs have been recovered since the April low the September total remained down 50,600 from February
• The unemployment rate decreased to 6.1 percent
• Labor force participation remained lower than normal, causing unemployment estimates to understate the impact of job loss on the labor market

Seasonally Adjusted Estimates

Payroll Survey Estimates The number of nonfarm payroll jobs in Maine increased by 4,700 in September. The private sector added 7,900 jobs, primarily in the manufacturing, leisure and hospitality, retail trade, and professional and business services sectors. The gain in manufacturing jobs was primarily due to the end of the shipbuilders strike in Bath. Jobs in the public sector decreased 3,200, mostly in local governments because seasonal job gains in public education were smaller than normal to the start the school year.

The jobs recovery continued throughout the state in September. The rate of net job loss from February to September was close to the statewide rate in each of the three metro areas and the non-metro balance of the state.

Household Survey Estimates The unemployment rate decreased to 6.1 percent for September from a revised rate of 7.0 percent for August. The number of unemployed decreased 5,900 from August to 41,400 for September.

NOTES

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What Is The Best Way For Me To File My Unemployment Claim

You can file an unemployment claim online 24/7 at the Maine DOL website or you can call 1-800-593-7660 between 8am and 3pm Monday through Friday.

MDOL has implemented an alphabetical call-in schedule to help reduce phone line congestion to receive and process claims. Those with last names beginning with A-H should call on Monday, I-Q on Tuesday and R-Z on Wednesday. Thursday and Friday are left unassigned for those who miss their alphabetical day or need to call at that time.

Federal Unemployment Programs Extended By American Rescue Plan

For Immediate Release: March 12, 2021

Federal Unemployment Programs Extended by American Rescue Plan

Pandemic Unemployment Assistance extended:

• Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claimants were previously eligible for up to 50 weeks of benefits. Now, they will be eligible for up to 79 weeks of benefits. The additional weeks will be added to PUA claims automatically claimants should just continue to file their weekly claims.
• NOTE: If a claimant previously exhausted their 50 weeks of PUA, they will be able to begin certifying again beginning Sunday, March 21, 2021. Week-ending March 20, 2021 is the first week the PUA continuation takes effect. Based on the federal law, there are no back weeks available for those who previously exhausted PUA. If someone exhausted their previous PUA benefits and has not filed a weekly claim within the last two weeks, they will need to go online to reopen their claim.
• PUA as a whole will be extended through September 4, 2021, but claimants may exhaust their individual 79 weeks before that date.

Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation extended:

$300 Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation extended:

• Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation , which provides an additional $300 per week on top of a claimant’s weekly benefit amount, has been extended through September 4, 2021.
• Claimants will continue to receive FPUC automatically as long as they continue to file weekly claims.

Tax Relief for Unemployment Claimants:

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Claims For Unemployment Compensation Week Ending September 11

For Immediate Release: September 16, 2021

Claims for Unemployment Compensation, Week Ending September 11

Overall, weekly unemployment claims continue to decrease, down almost 2,600 from the previous week. About 5,800 weekly certifications, or continued claims, were filed last week for state unemployment, with another 7,700 weekly certifications filed under PUA. In addition, about 13,300 weekly certifications were filed for the federal Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program. Weekly claims are filed after the end of the actual week. Therefore, the claims filed this week were for weeks ending September 4 or earlier. Weekly certifications must be filed by claimants every week in order to continue to receive unemployment benefits.

For the same time period, roughly 1,800 unemployment claimants reported having partial earnings for the week. More information, including a walk-through video and “partial benefit calculator,” can be found here:

Federal unemployment benefits ended on September 4, 2021. This covers the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance , Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation , Mixed Earners Unemployment Compensation , and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation benefits. Claims for weeks that end on or before September 4, 2021 will still be paid after that date, assuming all eligibility criteria are met.

Work Search Requirement:

Other Updates:

Hiring Events

Fraud Update

Claims For Unemployment Compensation Week Ending April 10

For Immediate Release: April 15, 2021

Claims for Unemployment Compensation, Week Ending April 10

About 15,100 weekly certifications, or continued claims, were filed last week for state unemployment, with another 13,200 weekly certifications filed under PUA. In addition, about 17,900 weekly certifications were filed for the federal Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program. Weekly certifications must be filed by claimants every week in order to continue to receive unemployment benefits.

Between March 15, 2020 and April 10, 2021, the Maine Department of Labor has paid out over $2 billion in federal and state unemployment benefits.

The Department has handled approximately 251,100 initial claims for the state unemployment program and 110,700 initial claims for the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program. Note: Claims do not equal the number of unique unemployment claimants. There have been over 3.7 million weekly certifications filed.

Claims data is preliminary and subject to revision. Claims data can be found here:

CareerCenter services – are available to help people identify and take their next steps to employment or training. It is a requirement that those receiving unemployment insurance benefits also be registered on the Maine JobLink, which includes a weekly newsletter for job seekers highlighting opportunities and training.

Other Updates

Routine Website Maintenance

Patriots Day Holiday

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Dept Of Labor Cancels Thousands Of Suspected Fraudulent Claims Week Ending June 13

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 18, 2020

Dept. of Labor Cancels Thousands of Suspected Fraudulent Claims Week Ending June 13

To date, the Department has received over 21,400 reports of unemployment imposter fraud, some of which are duplicates if both the employee and employer reported the fraud. The extent of potential unemployment imposter fraud remains under investigation.

Unemployment imposter fraud is when a person’s Personally Identifiable Information, or PII, is stolen from outside the unemployment system and used illegally to apply for unemployment benefits. Maine is one of many U.S. states working in close collaboration with state and federal law enforcement and regulatory agencies to investigate and prevent it. Based on the experience of other states, the amount lost to fraud may be in the tens of millions.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Maine Department of Labor, Maine Attorney Generals Office, Maine IT, Maine State Police, Maine State Treasurer, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, U.S. Secret Service, Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI are working together to investigate and stop the fraudulent unemployment claims. In Maine, the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General are spearheading the federal investigative effort.

What Should I Do If My Unemployment Claim Has Been Put On Hold

In light of extensive identity theft and unemployment fraud being investigated across the country, the Maine Department of Labor is holding claims that might potentially be fraudulent and canceling those that have been identified as most likely fraudulent. In order to release the hold, the Department must confirm your identity. Please go online to the ReEmployME homepage atreemployme.maine.gov. Select Upload Documents for Identity Verification located just above the login link. Please provide TWO forms of identification , one of which must be a government issued photo ID.

Government issued photo IDs :

• Drivers license

• Military ID

• Federal or State employee ID

Non-photo documentation :

• A recent utility bill that shows your name and residential address

• Social Security Card

• Birth certificate

Information on the documentation must match the information in MDOLs files. Experienced law enforcement will be reviewing the documents in the order it is received. You should receive a confirmation email upon submission. Once your identity is verified, the hold on your claim will be released and payment will be sent within 7-14 days.

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