Unemployment Claimants can Report their Work Search Efforts by Phone

April 27, 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 27, 2018

Media Contact: Laura Hudson, Maine Department of Labor, 621-5009

AUGUSTA?Maine Department of Labor has established an alternative method for unemployment claimants to report their required Work Search information. Representatives at the Work Search and Technical Support line are available from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., Monday through Friday, at 207-623-6765. Claimants must have already filed their Weekly Certification on the automated phone filing system at 1-800-593-7660 before support-line representatives can take their Work Search information.

Representatives on the Work Search and Technical Support line can assist with creating an online ReEmployME account, resetting a ReEmployME account password, and taking Work Search information. They cannot answer questions about a claim or benefits.

All claim questions and inquiries must be referred to a customer service representative in the Claim Center, available at 1-800-593-7660, Monday through Friday, between 8 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Wait times are typically highest on Monday and Tuesday. An online inquiry form is also available at https://www1.maine.gov/labor/contact/index.html . Be as thorough as possible when describing the issue.

Claimants continue to have multiple ways to file their Weekly Certification:

• Online remains the fastest way for claimants to file, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at http://www.maine.gov/reemployme . Ninety-five percent of those claimants filing Weekly Certifications are reporting their Work Search online.

• Individuals with limited Internet access or who are unable to use the automated phone filing system can call a Claim Center customer service representative and select the prompt to speak with a representative for assistance in filing a Weekly Certification.

• Maine CareerCenters can also assist unemployment claimants in filing their Weekly Certification. Visit http://www.mainecareercenter.gov for a list of locations and available, no-cost job search resources.

Additional information and helpful resources can be found on the Bureau of Unemployment Compensation website at http://www.maine.gov/labor/unemployment .

Unemployment insurance provides temporary, partial wage replacement -- funded by unemployment premiums paid by employers -- to eligible claimants who meet all the proper requirements. Each claimant's circumstances are different, and not everyone who files an unemployment claim is eligible for benefits. Claimants must meet eligibility and maintain certain efforts each week they file. Claims that are filed accurately by the claimant and have no eligibility issues are paid promptly. Claims that result in a fact finding could take several weeks to resolve, depending on the nature of the issue(s) identified, and may or may not result in being eligible for benefits.

Maine Department of Labor is an equal opportunity provider. Auxiliary aids and services are available to individuals with disabilities upon request.

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