[StBernard] Update From State Representative Nita Rusich Hutter

[Westley Annis]

Update From State Representative Nita Rusich Hutter

December 15, 2005


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We are forwarding this information to you from the Department of Labor
regarding Unemployment Benefits.

Nita Hutter

 

NEWS RELEASE

Labor Department requires those receiving benefits since Katrina to show
effort toward finding a job

BATON ROUGE - The Department of Labor is now requiring those persons
receiving jobless benefits as a result of hurricanes Katrina and Rita to
actively search for work and to file their claims weekly.  Weekly claims
filing and work searches are standard Unemployment Insurance requirements
that were waived for hurricane victims immediately following Katrina and
Rita.

"Early on we put all hurricane-related claimants on auto-pay to get
assistance to them as quickly and easily as possible," said Labor Secretary
John Warner Smith.  "The reinstated filing and work requirements are meant
to encourage hurricane victims to return to work and allow us to reassess
their eligibility."

"There are plenty of employment opportunities in the state right now.
Hundreds of businesses, especially those trying to rebuild in the
hurricane-affected areas, have thousands of jobs ready to be filled," Smith
said.

Each week claimants are required to verify their employment status and their
efforts to find work.  Claimants who do not call in or can't provide
evidence that they have looked for a job, risk having their unemployment
benefits halted.

The labor department continues to urge those who receive Unemployment
Insurance benefits to register for employment with the agency and to use its
job placement services available at any Job Center or One-Stop.

In addition, the Labor Department and its partners have held more than 60
job fairs statewide, resulting in the hiring of significant numbers of
people at competitive salaries.  The department has also hired 25
Reintegration Counselors who visit FEMA trailer communities, hotels and
other places where large numbers of displaced workers now reside.  These
counselors' help individuals find work; identify barriers that might prevent
some from returning to work; and refer individuals to other sources for
recovery assistance.

The latest unemployment insurance figures show that $542 million in
hurricane-related jobless benefits have been paid out by the labor
department - $507.5 million to Katrina claimants and $34.5 million to Rita
claimants.  The number of individuals filing for Unemployment Insurance or
Disaster Unemployment Assistance has held steady at about 354,800 throughout
the first two weeks of December.