Unemployment benefits extended

DES MOINES – Unemployment benefits set to expire Dec. 31 will continue into next year, keeping 30,000 Iowans from losing benefits, Gov. Chet Culver said Tuesday.

President Barack Obama signed legislation allowing the Emergency Unemployment Compensation program to continue through February. The program provides the unemployed with up to 47 weeks of additional benefits, paid for by the federal government, after their initial weeks of eligibility are up.

“This extension is a vital tool for Iowans who are seeking to re-enter the work force,” Culver said in a statement. “I commend the Obama administration for their efforts in helping to secure all possible benefits for Iowans, and as governor I will continue to do all I can to retain and create good jobs in every part of the state.”

Iowans currently receiving unemployment are required to continue with their weekly reporting to receive extended benefits. Iowa's unemployment rate hit 6.7 percent in November, up .1 percent from the previous month.

Iowa Workforce Development Director Elisabeth Buck said the extension of the program is critical to Iowans still reeling from the effects of the national recession.

“Without the deadline extension, thousands of Iowans and countless communities would lose out on a necessary economic support,” Buck said in a statement.

The agency has developed a program to help unemployed workers, which includes such things as retraining assistance, job placement assistance, resume writing and interview skills.