Nebraska Ending Participation in Federal Pandemic Unemployment Programs

LINCOLN–(News Release May 24)–Nebraska will no longer participate in federal pandemic unemployment programs effective June 19.  The State has notified the US Department of Labor of its intent to withdraw from the following:

• Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), which provides an additional $300 weekly payment to all recipients of state or federal unemployment benefits.
• Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), which provides benefits for those who would not usually qualify, such as the self-employed and gig workers.
• Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), which provides for an extension of benefits once regular benefits have been exhausted
• Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation (MEUC), which provides an additional $100 benefit to certain people with earnings from both self-employment and wages.

Notwithstanding the termination, the Continued Assistance Act (CAA) and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 created additional benefit eligibility for some workers. Claimants should continue to file weekly claims at NEworks.nebraska.gov to receive all benefits for which they are eligible, or file a new claim if they have not yet applied.

All claims for federal benefits covering weeks of unemployment through June 19 will continue to be processed. The last payable week under each program may vary. Nebraska will continue to pay regular unemployment claims for those who qualify.

Unemployment claimants in Nebraska have been required to complete weekly job searches since July 12, 2020.  NDOL job centers across the state are helping Nebraskans return to the workforce, and a variety of programs are available, including on-the-job training.

As federal pandemic unemployment programs end in Nebraska, the State encourages claimants to search for work at NEworks.nebraska.gov, which currently has nearly 40,000 active job postings of all skill levels in many different industries.