Maine Putting The Brakes On "Back To Work" Bonus Program

The State of Maine had high hopes for its "back to work bonus" program that would have landed unemployed Mainers who found a job and stayed on the job for 2 months, a state funded bonus of $1,500.

Sadly, the State has decided to shut down the program after it only had 400 workers apply for the bonus, which a significantly smaller than the 7500 workers that the State had anticipated according to a story by centralmaine.com.

The Maine Department of Labor is still reporting over 32,000 Maine people collecting either state and/or federal unemployment compensation.

The Community Development Commissioner, Heather Johnson said in the report:

“We remain committed to finding solutions to the barriers that remain to families returning work.”

The workforce issues that plague Maine are similar to those that effect other states all around the country. With the drastic layoffs and reduction in workforce that took place during the beginning of the pandemic, many of those workers simply have not returned to the workforce.

The federal unemployment programs, some that were extended up to a year will come to an end within one month. Many economists speculate that the end of federal funds for unemployment may be the ultimate incentive for people to find work.

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Source: Maine Putting The Brakes On “Back To Work” Bonus Program

Categories: Local News