Mainers Could Lose Emergency Unemployment Compensation

Unemployed Mainers could lose their unemployment benefits at the end of December if Congress doesn't act.

According to the Maine Department of Labor, the expiration of Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) would impact up to 4,200 of the over 16,000 Maine unemployment compensation claimants.

EUC provides additional federal unemployment insurance benefits to eligible individuals who have exhausted all available benefits from their state unemployment compensation programs. Nationally, 1.3 million jobless workers will have their benefits cut off on December 28^th.

Representative Mike Michaud is cosponsoring a bill that would extend EUC for one year.

Without swift Congressional action, 1.3 million jobless workers will have their benefits cut off on December 28th, and nearly another 1.9 million will lose their unemployment benefits over the first half of next year. This would not only be a devastating blow for millions of Americans who are already struggling, but it would also hurt our economy.

Michaud said, “Despite some positive gains, Maine still has pockets of high unemployment where emergency unemployment compensation is a lifeline for families struggling to make ends meet. Congress needs to act. Too many Americans have lost a job through no fault of their own, and this assistance is critical to helping them get back on the job.”