Furloughed Federal Workers May Be Eligible to Collect Unemployment Benefits

Non-essential government employees encouraged to apply 

TRENTON – Furloughed federal employees assigned to work in New Jersey are eligible to apply for unemployment benefits.

Benefits are being paid to eligible federal workers beginning Dec. 23, 2018. Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo said eligible employees would be paid for the duration of the shutdown, no matter how far into the shutdown their unemployment claim is filed.

“Thousands of federal workers are waiting for a paycheck due to President Trump’s shutdown,” said Governor Murphy. “In these challenging times, we urge furloughed federal employees in New Jersey to apply for unemployment benefits to supplement any lost wages.”

Commissioner Asaro-Angelo added, “Tomorrow, furloughed workers will miss their first paycheck because of the shutdown. The Labor Department is ready to assist these workers with their unemployment claims and get them paid as quickly as possible.”

Furloughed workers are eligible to apply for unemployment in the state in which they are assigned to work. They will be asked to provide proof of wages. Employees who are furloughed (not working) are generally eligible for benefits, so long as all other state eligibility factors are met.

The maximum weekly unemployment benefit for 2019 is $696. Regular benefits are exhausted after 26 weeks.

Furloughed employees who collect unemployment but are retroactively paid for the furlough by their employer must repay all overpayments to the state from which they collected.

To learn more about unemployment eligibility, click here. To initiate a New Jersey unemployment claim, click here. To learn more about the effects of the shutdown, click here.

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