Governor Urges Workers Not To Quit
Governor says workers must be in non-paid status to receive CARES Act benefits
By News Channel Nebraska
LINCOLN – In his daily coronavirus press conference Tuesday, Gov. Pete Ricketts urged working Nebraskans not to quit their jobs or they will not be eligible for unemployment benefits.
Increased unemployment benefits are available through the federal CARES Act and the governor announced earlier that from March 22 to May 2 the state is dropping the requirement that those receiving benefits are actively seeking work.
Ricketts: “This is specifically about trying to help people who have been impacted by the coronavirus. People who have been laid off through no fault of their own.”
Nebraska experienced an unprecedented increase in initial unemployment claims, rising from less than 800 to nearly 16,000 by March 26.
Nationally, 3.3 million people filed for unemployment for the week ending March 21.
The governor said people must be in non-paid status to receive the benefits.
Ricketts: “If you have a job, do not quit. Because, in Nebraska if you quit your job you will not be eligible for these benefits. It’s something for people who have been laid off because of the coronavirus not for somebody who has quit.
“And, if you have been laid off and your employer calls you back to work and you choose not go back to work, you will also be deemed to have quit, so you will not be eligible for these benefits.”
Nebraska had a 2.9 percent unemployment rate in February and expects to release updated statistics April 17.