Articles Posted in Unemployment compensation

On June 17, 2010, a minority of the U.S. Senate blocked passage of a bill that would have extended unemployment compensation benefits for unemployed Mainers and others around the nation. The extension of unemployment benefits is one provision in a larger bill intended to help create and protect jobs. The opponents of the legislation, which include Senators Snowe and Collins, contend that the bill is too costly and would add to the deficit.

In a bill approved by the House on September 22, 2009, more than a million people could receive an additional 13 weeks of unemployment benefits. The bill would extend benefits to people living in states with unemployment rates higher than 8.5%. Maine’s unemployment rate was 8.6% in August.

If you’ve lost your job, unemployment benefits may not be the only remedy available to you. Sometimes an employer violates an employee’s rights when it terminates him or her. If you think your rights have been violated, you should contact a lawyer who specializes in representing employees whose rights have been violated.