For Immediate Release

                        Date:                March 13, 2009

                        Contact:            Bill Thoennes

                                                Office of Government, Policy and Public Relations

                        Phone:              (303) 318-8004

                        Web:                www.coworkforce.com

EXTENDED EMERGENCY UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS
NOT AVAILABLE FOR COLORADO

Three-month average unemployment rate just under 6 percent

(DENVER) --The federal government provides up to 13 additional weeks of Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) benefits for states that reach a total three-month average unemployment rate greater than 6 percent. Figures released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics peg Colorado‘s three-month average unemployment rate for November 2008 through January 2009 at 5.9 percent.  This average falls just below the 6 percent necessary for Colorado to qualify for a second tier of EUC benefits.

On March 27, 2009, the three-month average unemployment rate for December 2008 through February 2009 will be announced.  The announcement will include the preliminary data for February 2009 and revised data for January 2009 and December 2008.  The Unemployment Insurance (UI) Program will contact potentially eligible individuals when Colorado’s three-month average exceeds 6 percent.

The passage of initial EUC legislation last July and extended EUC benefits last November still provides eligible, unemployed individuals with a total amount equal to the lesser of:

§         20 weeks of a claimant’s established weekly benefit amount on an initial, regular UI claim.

- or -

§         Weeks equal to 80 percent of the maximum benefit amount on an initial, regular UI claim.

To be eligible for EUC, claimants must meet all of the following criteria:

§         Have exhausted available benefits on a current UI claim or have a claim that expired on or after May 5, 2007.

§         Not be eligible for a new UI claim in any state or territory in the U.S. or in Canada.

§         Be currently unemployed or working less than 32 hours per week.

Individuals are encouraged not to call the UI Program’s Customer Contact Center telephone numbers (local and toll free) as the Department of Labor and Employment will take the initiative in contacting potentially eligible persons and providing additional filing instructions when appropriate.

Additional information is available online at www.coworkforce.com.

###