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Sponsored by: Maine Department of Labor
Updated: May 18, 2020 2020 Work for ME

Maine Department of Labor

Photo / Courtesy of MDOL
Laura Fortman

Greetings,

In normal times, I would highlight in this space the many programs that the Maine Department of Labor has to offer both employers and employees, such as registered apprenticeship, safety and health training, labor market information, vocational rehabilitation, and CareerCenter services that include job fairs and resume workshops.

While these services are all very important and most of them are still available online, many of you have likely been recently introduced, perhaps for the first time, to another one of the Department’s essential programs: unemployment compensation. Unemployment compensation is a program into which employer’s pay so that employees who lose their jobs through no fault of their own can receive partial wage replacement as they look for work or wait to return to their job.

We are in unprecedented times which has created unforeseen challenges for all of us.

In recent weeks, the novel coronavirus and requirements to contain its spread have meant many businesses have temporarily closed and many workers have needed to file for unemployment benefits. We know how important unemployment compensation is. It can be a lifeline for many individuals and their families and serves as an economic stabilizer for local communities. The Department will continue to do everything we can to ensure that all eligible Mainers receive the benefits they need, and that employers are supported as they navigate this unchartered territory.

We are in unprecedented times which has created unforeseen challenges for all of us. However, working together, I know that we will come back from this.

As Gov. Janet Mills has said, “we will get through this as Mainers, looking each other and looking the world in the eye — together, no matter the distance between us now.”

Sincerely,

— Laura Fortman
Commissioner of the Maine Department of Labor