Roughly 100 furloughed federal workers have qualified for unemployment insurance in Maine, but many more who are still working without pay cannot qualify.
That's according to Laura Fortnam, commissioner of the state Department of Labor. Fortnam says the state is waiving the usual requirement that claimants must seek work while receiving the benefit.
Gov. Janet Mills is calling for the swift passage of a legislative measure to provide no-cost loans to unpaid federal workers. Fortnam estimates there are about 1300 of them in the state.
Once they get back pay, federal workers would have to pay back any unemployment benefits received. Fortman says the maximum unemployment benefit is about $430 a week.
