Guv nixes DOL hires
Gov. John Baldacci has blocked the Maine Dept. of Labor's plan to hire 10 workers to handle a sharp increase in unemployment claims.
The governor learned of the agency's plan after reading a Bangor Daily News article on the backlog, and Wednesday said the state hiring freeze does extend to the DOL. "The state's revenue picture is very fragile," David Farmer, Baldacci's deputy chief of staff told the paper. "We need to look at every alternative before hiring."
The wages of the 10 workers would have been funded entirely by federal dollars, and would have manned phones to deal with an 87% increase in initial, continued and emergency extended unemployment claims over the same time last year, the paper reported. In September, the DOL fielded 6,036 claims.
Most Recent
Most Recent
Comments