Update Oct. 1: This story has been corrected to show that 148,000 people received additional $300 weekly unemployment checks. In the meantime, the Oregon Employment Department is asking people to not call with questions but instead sign up for email updates. Coronavirus / News / Oregon-Northwest / Top Stories KTVZ news sources Information from the … Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC). PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Oregonians depending on federal unemployment benefits will not have a gap in coverage as some feared. All rights reserved. Arizona was … “Suspending this rule will ensure that Oregonians do not lose the essential benefits they are relying on due to a short-term improvement in our unemployment rate,” Gerstenfeld said. The most recent unemployment rate in Oregon was 6.0% in November. The meltdown at Oregon’s Employment Department that left tens of thousands of jobless Oregonians stranded for weeks or even months during the pandemic was, at … The Oregon Employment Department’s Contact Us form was created to gather all inquiries related to unemployment benefits. FEMA Status: Approved 8/15/2020. A lawsuit filed last week in Multnomah County circuit court accuses the Oregon Employment Department and Acting Director David Gerstenfeld of being at … Get Portland Oregon breaking local news. Oregon received federal funding to replace its jobless benefits computer system in 2009, near the end of Gov. This document will be updated as more informationbecomes available. This time, the agency was able to recover in a little over a week from the delayed resolution and signing of the Continued Assistance for Unemployed Workers Act into law Dec. 27. Contact him at, Unemployment runs out for millions as president stalls signing or vetoing stimulus package, Marion County readies COVID-19 vaccine clinic at Oregon State Fairgrounds, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. UPDATE (7:21 p.m. PT) — The Oregon Employment Department is working to streamline unemployment claims for gig workers and small business owners through a new processing claims center. Oregon’s unemployment rate rose from a near-record-low 3.5 percent, as revised, in March to a record- high 14.2 percent in April, as COVID-19 business closures shut down a large portion of the economy, according to the Oregon Employment Department. Learn more. © 2021 www.statesmanjournal.com. On Friday, July 17th, the Oregon Employment Department launched a new online form for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance initial claims and weekly certifications. “On Nov. 18th, Oregon implemented a ‘freeze’ to combat the rise of COVID-19 in the state. We wanted to pass along some additional information regarding the new form, per David Gerstenfeld, Acting Director of the Oregon Employment Department.. The Oregon Employment Department’s Contact Us form was created to gather all inquiries related to unemployment benefits. OREGON EMPLOYMENT DEPARTMENT ISSUES STATEMENT REGARDING PASSAGE OF FEDERAL UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS. Find photos and videos, comment on the news, and join the forum discussions at OregonLive.com. Normally the state would have to wait another 13 weeks after it reduced extended benefits to allow the longer extended benefits, but Gerstenfeld said the legislation allows the state to suspend that rule. And tens of thousands of Oregonians have begun receiving the additional $300 a week. on Federal Unemployment Benefits, Dec. 24 The Oregon Employment Department is pleased that Congress has passed an extension of federal benefit programs, including Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC). We review every message, but are prioritizing those from customers with the oldest issues and from those who have been impacted by recent wildfires. Training Website                              W.C. Earhart. About 59,000 of them had been paid as of Tuesday. Though it was less than the $600 weekly boost from the CARES Act, which expired in July, the additional benefits required significant programming. The most recent unemployment rate in Oregon was 6.0% in November. Coronavirus updates, Thursday: Oregon unemployment claims slow, but still reach 396,000 following coronavirus shutdown . 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