Latest news with #EOLWD
CBS News
25-04-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Unemployment benefits in Massachusetts extended after state law triggered
By Alison Kuznitz, State House News Service People filing new unemployment claims this week, as well as eligible existing claimants, can now receive benefits for up to 30 weeks, up from the previous maximum benefit period of 26 weeks. An extension of jobless benefits is triggered under state law when the unemployment rate in any of the commonwealth's seven metropolitan statistical areas exceeds a 5.1% threshold, measured across a 12-month average, according to the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. New federal data show the Springfield area hit an unemployment rate of 5.2%. "This change is required by state law that was passed in 2003. The [Department of Unemployment Assistance] will be in communication with claimants on next steps," EOLWD spokesperson Matt Kitsos said in a statement to the News Service on Tuesday. "Our administration is working with stakeholders and our state and local partners as we conduct a comprehensive review of the UI Trust Fund and implement our new, modernized online system to best serve the residents of Massachusetts. We will continue to connect skilled workers with employers, train and prepare future talent, and make life more affordable for everyone." Unemployment rate in Massachusetts Since July 2023, Bay Staters have been eligible for a shorter benefit window of 26 weeks due to a lower level of unemployment. That change kicked in after all metro areas logged unemployment rates at or below 5.1%. The 12-month unemployment average is currently below 5% in the other six metro areas, according to EOLWD. The Barnstable area trails closest to Springfield, at 4.9%. The National Federation of Independent Business, which called attention to the benefit period extension before state officials confirmed it Tuesday, urged lawmakers to tackle unemployment insurance reform. Business groups like NFIB contend that employers are strained by steep costs from the unemployment system, including due to large benefit amounts and broad eligibility parameters. "The cracks in our broken unemployment insurance system are now becoming chasms," Christopher Carlozzi, Massachusetts state director for NFIB, said in a statement. "This is yet another example of the Commonwealth's outlier policies compounding a worsening UI crisis, as we are the ONLY state in the nation that allows recipients to collect 30 weeks of benefits." The statewide unadjusted unemployment rate for March was 5%, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. That is 0.8 percentage points above the nationwide unadjusted unemployment rate of 4.2%, EOWLD said. The statewide seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate in March was 4.4%, compared to a national rate of 4.2%. The state's labor participation in March was nearly 67%, which is 4.1 percentage points above the national average, EOLWD said. Earlier this month, the state DUA published the latest quarterly report about the trust fund used to pay joblessness benefits, again projecting the account funded by a tax on employers will dip into the red by 2028. Private sector jobs lost in Massachusetts On Tuesday, the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance pointed out that data from the state's Department of Economic Research (DER) showed Massachusetts had lost nearly 25,000 private sector jobs over the last year amid a major increase in state and local government jobs. "Private sector employers are facing rising energy costs, burdensome mandates, and an unfriendly business climate," Paul Craney, MassFiscal's executive director, said. "The state is doing serious long-term damage to its economic competitiveness. Every government job added without private sector growth is another step toward eventual fiscal ruin. Massachusetts needs a private sector comeback, not more bureaucrats on the state payroll." The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development later said the data displayed by DER and cited by Mass Fiscal was incorrect. After updating the DER website to accurately reflect numbers provided (and routinely revised) by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the state said the net change in private sector jobs here between March 2024 and March 2025 was a decrease of 12,100 jobs, a number that corresponds with data provided directly by BLS. Between March 2024 and March 2025, some 400 federal workers here lost their jobs, while state government added 1,700 jobs. The local government sector also lost 300 jobs.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Federal unemployment claims jump in Mass.
BOSTON (SHNS) – The massive wave of federal layoffs is starting to have a modest but noticeable impact on Massachusetts residents, the Healey administration indicated after launching a website Friday to connect fired workers with other public and private job opportunities in the commonwealth. The state Department of Unemployment Assistance has received 271 federal claims since Feb. 9, according to a spokesperson for the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Department. That compares to the 58 federal unemployment insurance claims that DUA fielded in February 2024. The new unemployment data represent a small fraction of the more than 46,000 federal employees in Massachusetts, who work in sectors including public administration, education, transportation, warehousing and the postal service. But more layoffs are in the Department of Government Efficiency pipeline, with more than 80,000 workers at the Department of Veterans Affairs expected to lose their jobs as early as June, according to Reuters. The EOLWD spokesperson noted the unemployment claims so far represent a snapshot of impacted federal workers. The data captures Bay Staters who filed initial claims, but not those who were fired but have yet to seek unemployment benefits. It also doesn't account for Bay Staters dealing with 'indirect layoffs,' such as researchers in academia who have lost their federal funding. The EOLWD spokesperson on Monday said the website had garnered more than 10,500 views since it published Friday. A LinkedIn post that included a link to the site had more than 72,000 impressions, the spokesperson said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Massachusetts celebrates Women in Construction Week
UPTON, Mass. (WWLP) – The Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD) celebrated Women in Construction Week with students from Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School. As part of this national and statewide initiative to promote women's roles in the construction industry, EOLWD Secretary Lauren Jones toured the school's construction training programs and spoke to the high school girls within them. March declared 'Massachusetts Maple Month' 'Women in Construction Week is an opportunity to showcase the amazing women in construction, celebrate increased exposure for girls to learn about careers in construction, and encourage women to join the industry,' said Jones. 'Through the recent Executive Order, continued investment in Registered Apprenticeship, and great partnerships, we are working every day to increase access to training and career opportunities right here in Massachusetts for women and people of color. The Healey administration signed an executive order in December 2024 to promote women and diversity in construction, establishing a Diverse and Equitable Construction Workforce Participation Committee within the governor's office. The committee aims to encourage equitable workforce participation in construction. Secretary Jones serves as chair of this committee. After Jones' visit at the high school, she got the chance to tour the Blackstone Valley HUB for Workforce Development, which provides a space for students to gain technical and employability skills. 'BV Hub is thrilled to welcome Secretary Jones during Women in Construction Week as we highlight the critical role of women in the trades within our broader workforce development initiatives,' said Joscelyn Young, Blackstone Valley HUB Vice President. The Healey administration has also invested in Registered Apprenticeship, a construction and trade model that helps recruit and train apprentices in the construction workforce and other high-demand industries. More information about Registered Apprenticeship can be found at WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
