NEW YORK—Labor Department Commissioner M. Patricia Smith on Monday urged New York state residents whose unemployment benefits are due to expire on May 15, to seek other benefits they might qualify for.
While legislation is pending to extend unemployment benefits an additional 13 weeks to aid job seekers in a down economy, the unemployed could take advantage of services and credits available to them on myBenefits.ny.gov and visit their local One-Stop Career Center for training and job search help.
The Centers are being under-utilized, Smith said. She encourages all unemployed individuals to look into what the Centers can provide. In the past, being laid off meant receiving unemployment until one's previous job opens up again, but now many jobs are disappearing. “So people really need to think about training for emerging jobs,” Smith said. “You may have skills that could translate into a different job, but you might not know that without the help of a One-Stop Career Center.”
There are 81 One-Stop Career Centers across the State, and about 20 comprehensive or affiliate centers in the city. To find the nearest Center, go to http://www.servicelocator.org/ or http://www.careeronestop.org/.
Extended Benefits and Gas Credit
Under the federal stimulus package, the federal government will extend unemployment insurance benefits an additional 13 weeks after regular state insurance expires. That's in addition to the 13 extra weeks already provided last summer by a Federal extension.
To provide more assistance to those on the job hunt, the State Labor Department has increased each county's gas card program fund by $6,250. Most counties will begin to distribute the new funds within two weeks, but the five boroughs of New York will begin distributing them beginning May 15.
The transportation money can be used for gas or public transportation costs incurred in attending career training courses at One-Stop Career Centers or attending job interviews. One must be unemployed, actively looking for work, and registered at a Center to qualify.
The program is an extension of an initiative begun in February in rural parts of New York.
The Department of Labor lists job openings on their website, http://www.americasjobexchange.com/ny. 15,000 jobs in the New York metropolitan area are currently posted on the site, ranging from entry-level to professional.