#unemployment insurance

The Hawaiʻi State Legislature has passed House Bill 477, advancing efforts to modernize the state’s unemployment insurance (UI) system. The bill aims to streamline interactions for both claimants and employers, while laying the groundwork for long-overdue improvements to the system.

Starting Oct. 7, the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations will implement additional tools for employers into the State Information Data Exchange System (SIDES), in partnership with the National Association of State Workforce Agencies and the US Department of Labor.

The Hawai‘i State Department of Labor and Industrial Relations will launch three new tools in its Unemployment Insurance claim portal over the next few weeks.

Workers, business owners and self-employed residents of Maui who became unemployed or had reduced work hours due to the August wildfires may be eligible for disaster unemployment benefits.

The Hawaiʻi State Department of Labor & Industrial Relations today announced a partnership with the US Department of Labor and the US Postal Service to offer unemployment insurance claimants the ability to provide the identity proofing required to continue or initiate a claim for unemployment insurance benefits through two new sources – Login.gov and USPS in person proofing.

“Individuals that do not qualify for regular unemployment insurance may be eligible for DUA benefits beginning the week of Aug. 13, 2023, as long as the individual’s unemployment continues to be a direct result of the disaster,” said Governor Josh Green, M.D.

In-person services for general unemployment insurance claims as well as for employer services will be available from 7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays on a first come, first served basis, starting this Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021.

The state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations today announced it paid $700 million to the US Department of the Treasury for advances it has received to pay regular unemployment insurance benefits.

The state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations will start requiring Pandemic Unemployment Assistance or “PUA” claimants to make three job contacts beginning the week of June 13, 2021.

The Department of Labor & Industrial Relations is working with other states and the US Department of Labor to fight fraud and stop scammers. The DLIR reports that it does not have any social media accounts except Twitter and the only portal for unemployment insurance benefits is at https://huiclaims.hawaii.gov/#/

Unemployment on the Island of Maui was 12.7 percent in February, down from 14.1 percent the previous month, but still well above the 1.7 percent rate reported in February of last year, prior to the pandemic.

The Hawaiʻi Department of Labor & Industrial Relations today announced updates about unemployment insurance and pandemic-related assistance benefits, which are being extended due the new federal stimulus act signed last week by President Joe Biden.

If signed into law, the measure would temporarily reduce the unemployment insurance contribution rates.

The state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations today announced that it was awarded $1,2115,000 from the US Department of Labor to combat fraud in the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation programs.

The CAA allows PEUC claimants an additional 11 weeks of benefits payable for the week ending Jan. 2 through March 13 and a phaseout to April 10, 2021. Payments will also include the additional $300 Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation weekly benefit.

A $900 billion federal COVID-19 relief package was signed into law on Dec. 27. The Hawaiʻi Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR) is currently reviewing HR133, which includes extensions of CARES Act unemployment insurance and assistance benefits.

The program will pay $300 a week to all eligible claimants that have a weekly benefit amount of $100 or more in unemployment insurance benefits. The program excludes those with a weekly benefit amount of less than $100.

The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations announced Monday the availability of funds to reimburse state and local government entities and certain non-profits for unemployment insurance benefits. 

The report shows the State paid more than $2 billion in benefits since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic on March 1, 2020.

Chris Tatum, President and CEO of the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority said about 70,000 people are now unemployed that had worked in the tourism industry and their health benefits are at risk. The subcommittee expects tourism will recover slowly because over a third of American travelers say they don’t expect to take a commercial trip until sometime in 2021 at the earliest.