Economy

Labor Commissioner Now Says Notices for Dec. 2020 $300 Unemployment Payments Will Go Out May 10; Senators Press for Answers on Delays

Senators in the Committee on Education and Workforce Development on Friday expressed frustrations with the Department of Labor on behalf of Virgin Islanders that have shared difficulties in receiving unemployment benefits. They also pressed Dept. of Labor Commissioner Gary Molloy for answers. Senator Janelle Sarauw sought to understand why in May 2021 Virgin Islanders had yet to receive payments from the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which was signed into law by former President Donald Trump in December 2020 and provides $300 of extended unemployment benefits — down from $600 months before from the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program, which expired in July 2020.  "The delay has been that when the laws are passed, the United States Department of Labor has to provide us with unemployment insurance program letters which give us the guidance. In the guidance we received, the law changed the implementation of the program, so while they are built as extensions they...