PROVIDENCE – State residents receiving unemployment benefits will once again have to prove they are actively looking for work beginning on May 23, Gov. Daniel J. McKee said on Thursday.
The work-search requirement is typically a part of state unemployment policies, but was relaxed at the start of the pandemic. Amid a number of small businesses reporting hiring woes, state officials have started to consider several changes to unemployment policies to urge people to go back to work.
Facing the Holidays with a Cancer Diagnosis
The holidays are often painted as a time of joy, tradition, and togetherness. But for…
Learn More
Reinstating the work-search requirement is up to the R.I. Department of Labor and Training, according to McKee spokeswoman Alana O’Hare. Meanwhile, state legislators are considering legislative changes that would allow unemployment recipients who work part time to make more money while also still receiving benefits.
The legislation had initial hearings in the House finance and Senate labor committees earlier this week, with support from local small businesses and business groups.
About 90% of the 68,000 people collecting weekly unemployment benefits as of April were not working at all, DLT Director Matt Weldon told PBN previously.
He is optimistic that increasing the amount residents can make while still receiving benefits would encourage those not working to seek at least part-time work. It could also cut down the drain on the state’s unemployment fund if enough people go back to work part time.
Adding 2,600 people currently on full-time unemployment to reduced benefits and part-time work would be a “break even” point; a greater number of people working part time would be a financial benefit for the state, Weldon said.
