US Labor Department announces release of $108.4 million in unemployment insurance modernization incentive funds to Massachusetts

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today certified for release $108,455,561 in unemployment insurance (UI) modernization incentive funds to the commonwealth of Massachusetts. Massachusetts qualified for the remaining two-thirds of its share of the funds available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) by allowing unemployed workers enrolled in training to receive unemployment compensation as a result of its long standing dependents' allowance provisions, and by expanding its provisions allowing workers enrolled in approved training programs to receive unemployment compensation.

"Massachusetts already received part of its share of UI modernization funds for its longstanding policy of helping unemployed workers who recently entered the labor force obtain the assistance they deserve," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "I am pleased that Massachusetts has made an additional update to its UI program to better meet the needs of modern day workers and their families by extending unemployment benefits to eligible workers enrolled in training."

The Massachusetts Department of Workforce Development can use modernization funds to pay unemployment benefits or, if appropriated by the legislature, to administer its unemployment insurance program or deliver 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. Massachusetts' 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.