The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Dr. Tamika Ledbetter announced that the state will end its participation in the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation weekly $300 supplemental benefit on June 12th.
Commissioner Ledbetter said, “As Alaska’s economy opens up, employers are posting a wide range of job opportunities and workers are needed. There are numerous training and employment resources available to Alaskans looking for work. A great example is the Virtual Job Fair happening right now. More than 50 local employers have posted recruitments, and the response has been very positive. Employer demand for workers is outpacing job applicants. For those seeking employment, the time is now.”
Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation is a short-term relief program funded through employer and employee contributions. Federal and state program expansions have added additional weeks of eligibility and supplemental funding to the normal state benefit. Since March 2020, the department has helped in Alaska’s response to the pandemic. More than $1.2 billion in federal and state funds have been distributed through the program.
As the economy tries to rebound from the pandemic, the department has seen a steady reduction in the number of active filers. There are currently 32,000 filers across all available programs – down from a high of 65,000 last May of 2020. Extensions of the basic state benefit will continue to Sept. 6, 2021, and will be available to both eligible Unemployment Insurance recipients and self-employed filers.