Home → News & Events → Research Brief Outlines Economic Benefits of Unemployment
Research Brief Outlines Economic Benefits of Unemployment 
November 13, 2009
New research from the Maine Department of Labor Center for Workforce Research and Information quantifies the recent economic impact of the Unemployment Insurance program. During a 12-month period running from March 2008 to March 2009, Unemployment Insurance provided $235 million in direct aid to laid-off workers impacted by the recession and helped the greater economy by supporting 3,200 jobs, $88 million in wages and contributing $178 million to Maine?s gross state product. The brief noted that unemployment benefits went primarily to paying for food, housing, transportation, and healthcare and the spending circulated across a multitude of different industries supporting jobs in a variety of occupations.
