Montana Receives $13 Million for Unemployment Modernization Act

Labor Commissioner Keith Kelly announced today the Unemployment Insurance Division of the Department of Labor and Industry received $13 million in federal funds to implement the Unemployment Modernization Act. "This helps those Montanans who have been impacted by what’s going on in the economy to weather the storm as we move out of the recession," says Commissioner Kelly.

The 2009 Montana Legislature enacted provisions that allow dislocated workers to receive additional benefits once they exhaust their Montana unemployment claim while completing their retraining. The provisions also allow laid-off workers who have always worked part-time to draw benefits while continuing to seek part-time work. "This will make it easier for those Montanans who are upgrading their skills and those seeking part-time work to get the support they need as they go through this process," says Commissioner Kelly.

Montana’s modernization also includes an alternate base period provision for unemployed workers who do not qualify for benefits using the traditional four quarters of wages to use the most recent completed quarter for establishing eligibility. Montanans who filed ineligible claims after May 17, 2009, the effective date of the legislation have been notified of the alternate base period option.

With the $6.5 million for the alternate base period, Montana’s Unemployment Insurance Division has received a total $19.5 million to pay for the new provisions in the Unemployment Modernization Act.