CT Extends Unemployment Benefits Again

Staying under the national average, Nutmeg State sees unemployment claims skyrocket
Gov. M. Jodi Rell announced on Oct. 22 that unemployed Connecticut residents will be eligible to receive an additional seven weeks of benefits.
High Extended Benefits (HEB) is a federal extension plan that states qualify for when their unemployment rate averages 8 percent or higher over three consecutive months.
"These benefits offer the lifeline we need to help our families weather this economic storm," said Rell in a press release from state. "While I am confident our nation will soon emerge from this recession, until we do recover and begin to create new jobs, we must provide assistance to those who felt the brunt of this downturn."
Unemployment rates have risen in the past three months, with 7.8 percent of the workforce unemployed in July, 8.1 percent unemployed in August and 8.4 percent unemployed in September.
According to Nancy Steffens, the spokeswoman for the Connecticut Department of Labor, the state issued nearly 132,000 unemployment checks totaling $44.7 million in last week alone.
"In 2007, we had about 40,000 workers filing for unemployment each week. In 2009, we've seen about 90,000 each week," said Steffens.
State economists anticipate that Connecticut's unemployment rate will continue to trend toward the national average of 9.8 percent. Steffens said that Connecticut may see its unemployment rate rise as high as 8.7 percent. Many economists believe the unemployment rate may begin to drop in 2010.
The Daily Campus, University of Connecticut, CT