U.S. Labor Department announces release of $11.1 million in unemployment insurance modernization incentive funds to West Virginia

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today certified for release $11,058,877 in unemployment insurance (UI) modernization incentive funds to the state of West Virginia. West Virginia qualified for a portion of its share of the funds available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) by allowing workers to use their more recent earnings to qualify for benefits.

"West Virginia recognizes the importance of providing an economic safety-net to workers who have entered the workforce recently and lost their jobs through no fault of their own," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "These workers deserve our support, and the state is making the right decision to help individuals who are seeking new careers and might not otherwise qualify for Unemployment Insurance benefits."

The state agency Workforce West Virginia can use the funds to pay unemployment benefits or, if appropriated by the legislature, for administering the state's unemployment insurance program or delivering employment services.

The Recovery Act made a total of $7 billion available in UI modernization incentive payments to states that include certain eligibility provisions in their UI programs. Each state can qualify for a share of those funds by showing that its law includes those provisions. West Virginia's approved application will be posted at the department's Employment and Training Administration Web site at http://www.doleta.gov/recovery. Other approved applications can also be found on this site.