MEDIA ALERT
June 15, 2020
Contact: [email protected] or
Katherine Trombetta, Missouri Job Center
417-841-3389 or 417-880-6306
[email protected]
MO Department of Labor Division of Employment Security Announces Return of Unemployment Requirements
Beginning the week of July 5, 2020, individuals wishing to continue to receive unemployment benefits (including the $600 federal supplement available through July 25, 2020) will be required to perform work search activities that had been lifted for those that had filed a coronavirus-related unemployment claim.
Work search activities are required for programs including regular Unemployment Insurance (UI), Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), Extended Benefits (EB), and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC). Individuals with an employer-submitted recall date, in approved training, and those employees on the Shared Work program will be exempt from the work search requirement. All other claimants will be required to perform and report three work search activities per week to remain eligible for benefits. Union members with a hiring or referral hall may contact their hall three times per week or attend training for the required number of work search activities. Qualified work search activities include, but are not limited to, filing an application (online or in-person) with an employer or through job posting sites or attending a job fair, job interview, reemployment service or skills workshop. Part-time employment performed during a week is credited on a per-day basis.
The Missouri Job Center in Springfield is available to assist unemployed workers with these requirements by providing customized job searches through jobs.mo.gov, job fairs, Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA) appointments, workshops and other training programs. Employers are encouraged to post job openings on jobs.mo.gov.
Also beginning July 5, employers will once again be charged for unemployment claims against their account. Employers wanting to reduce the amount of charges being made against their accounts are encouraged to report employees that either refuse to return to work or are receiving pay through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Employers can report those instances through their UInteract account or by visiting labor.mo.gov and clicking on “Report Employee Work Refusals” or “Report PPP Wages Paid to Employees.”
For those filing for unemployment in Missouri on or after July 5, a waiting week requirement will again be imposed. The waiting week is the first week of a claim for which the individual is eligible for unemployment benefits but during this week, such individual is not paid benefits. Individuals who are approved for benefits may receive compensation for the waiting week as the last payment on the regular unemployment claim.
The Division of Employment Security reminds unemployed workers that they should report any earnings (including PPP payments) and any work refusal when filing their weekly request for payment. Failing to do so will result in an overpayment of unemployment benefits. Any overpaid benefits (including the $600 federal supplement) will have to be repaid before an individual can receive any future unemployment benefits. Additionally, failing to report earnings and work refusals can be considered fraud and the individual could be subject to fines of up to 100 percent of overpaid amounts and criminal prosecution.
For questions regarding Missouri unemployment, please utilize the DES virtual assistant at labor.mo.gov and visit labor.mo.gov/coronavirus.
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The Missouri Job Center is an equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services available to individuals with disabilities. MO TTY users may call 800-735-2966 or contact MO Relay at 711.