Starting this week, people receiving unemployment benefits may get more money as the state adjusts payments to reflect previous incomes.
For months, contractors and self-employed Mainers were restricted to receiving an $172-per-week minimum. The Department of Labor announced in a statement it intends to correct payments to better reflect prior incomes starting this week.
“This increase will provide some financial relief for those who have been waiting for their full benefit amount,” Labor Commissioner Laura Fortman said in the statement.
The state saw the lowest number of unemployment filings last week since the pandemic first touched the state in mid-March. New claims for state unemployment fell to about 2,200.
Unemployment claims in the state have trended downward since June.