Arizonans to lose unemployment benefits this month

June 13, 2012

Some Arizonans could lose their unemployment benefits later this month, because of the state’s declining unemployment rate. From Phoenix, KJZZ’s Mark Brodie reports.

MARK BRODIE: Congress decided earlier this year that states would lose the last 16 weeks of federally funded unemployment benefits when their three-month average unemployment rate fell below nine percent. That’s been the case in Arizona for the past two months, and Mark Darmer with the state Department of Economic Security expects similar news when May’s numbers are released tomorrow.

MARK DARMER: It’s good news that the unemployment rate continues to decline. It’s unfortunate for those folks who are still struggling to find employment, that have been unemployed for an extended period, they will see their benefits come to an end.

BRODIE: Darmer says people who are already receiving the last 16 weeks of unemployment benefits will continue to get them. But, people who start getting them between June 2-22 will only get six weeks, and nobody will be able to start getting them after June 23. Darmer says that will affect 700 Arizonans a week.

 

Updated 6/13/2012 at 2:06 p.m.