PROVIDENCE – Two weeks after the state made changes to unemployment benefits with the intention of getting people back to work, R.I. Department of Labor and Training Director Matt Weldon said the numbers are moving in the right direction.
The state on May 23 reinstated its work-search requirement for those collecting unemployment, after temporarily relaxing those rules during the pandemic. The same day, legislation took effect that increases the amount of earnings recipients can make through part-time work while still qualifying for benefits.
Healing Beyond the Surface: Expert Wound Care with Angela Fazio, RN, BSN, CWCN
Why specialized treatment matters more than you may realize. For millions of Americans, chronic wounds…
Learn More
In the intervening two weeks, 1,000 fewer people filed for certified unemployment claims, for a total of 68,186 as of June 5, the most recent data available, according to DLT. At the same time, 325 more recipients reported part-time hours, a 0.8 percentage-point increase to 7.9% of all claims.
And another 1,200 people were able to still qualify for some benefits while increasing their wages, which without legislation upping the threshold they would have lost, according to Weldon.
While employers continue to bemoan lack of applicants for open positions, Weldon said he was pleased to see the numbers moving in a positive direction.
“I am an incrementalist, so I like to see week-over-week growth,” he said.
DLT is also continuing efforts to connect job seekers to employers; a virtual job fair organized in partnership with the manufacturing industry drew 100 potential applicants, Weldon said.
Weldon previously told PBN he hoped to see a 10% jump in the number of benefits recipients working part-time, which would prove the legislative change achieved its intended goal and help decrease the strain on the state’s unemployment insurance trust fund. Weldon said on Thursday he has no target date to hit that benchmark.
The date Weldon is eyeing instead is Sept. 6, when federal unemployment benefits expire.
“If people are not reconnected to employment by then, it could be devastating for them and the state economy,” he said.
Nancy Lavin is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Lavin@PBN.com.
