TRENTON, April 21, 2010 – There was good news for thousands of New Jersey’s unemployed workers as a bill was signed into law on April 15, 2010 that extends the deadline to qualify for existing tiers of federal unemployment insurance benefits.  While the legislation does not provide additional tiers or weeks of benefits the extended effective date for the law means there will be no eligibility gap for jobless workers receiving Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC), Federal Additional Compensation (FAC), or Extended Benefits (EB).

Harold J. Wirths, acting commissioner of the New Jersey Labor Department and Workforce Development, said, “The bill offers the opportunity to New Jersey unemployment insurance claimants who have not exhausted all of their eligibility to qualify for the next tier of benefits while they continue to look for work.”

The new law extends the filing date for the federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation tiers to June 2, 2010. In addition the law extends the FAC program to June 2, 2010. The FAC program provides an additional federal weekly benefit of $25 to unemployment insurance claimants.

Under the new law, the federal government will continue to pay 100 percent of benefits under the Extended Benefit program through June 2, 2010.

Acting Commissioner Wirths said, “The Department will work with claimants to make the transition from one tier to the next tier as seamless as possible.”

The Department will continue to autofile on behalf of the claimant for the next available tier of benefits so that claimants can continue to certify for benefits on-line or over the phone at their regular scheduled time.

For more information or to find the nearest One-Stop Career Center go to www.nj.gov/labor and click on the One-Stop Career Center icon.