Maine Dept. of Labor announces 13 additional weeks of unemployment help

More help is on the way for unemployed Mainers.

The state's Department of Labor is 13 more weeks of benefit payments.

The added payments would go into effect after a person exhausts the initial 26-week benefit period.

The help is coming from the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, the third and final new federal unemployment insurance program.

Anyone who has surpassed the initial period will be automatically enrolled.

Going forward, the department says those who have exhausted their unemployment benefits before finding a new job will need to file a new initial claim in their ReEmployME account.