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Maine To Reinstate Work Search Requirements For Unemployment

May 7, 2021

Want to collect unemployment benefits in Maine? You’ll have to actively apply for jobs each week later this month, as The Bangor Daily News reports.

The Maine Department of Labor announced that it plans to bring back the state’s ordinary work search requirement for those collecting unemployment, something state officials waived at the start of the coronavirus pandemic with many businesses shut down. After the first stage of the lockdown, however, they never re-implemented the policy.

The report says that the state did it for a few reasons. One was the widespread availability of the coronavirus vaccine and the other is that there will be an influx of job openings in the state with tourism season approaching.