HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — The government is working on a post-typhoon unemployment program and is asking businesses to provide information about staffing to help maximize federal aid for the island.
The Guam Department of Labor announced this week that it’s working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Department of Labor to start a Disaster Unemployment Assistance program. More information about eligibility and the application process will be announced when available.
The program will provide weekly benefit payments to workers who traditionally wouldn’t qualify for unemployment benefits, and who are unable to work as a direct result of the major disaster caused by Typhoon Mawar, a news release stated. This includes those who are self-employed, independent contractors and farmworkers.
Once the funding is approved and the program is established, weekly benefits will be available for up to 26 weeks, with the benefit amount to be based on a formula determined by the U.S. DOL.
All information collected from businesses will be used to estimate how much assistance Guam will need from the federal government, the release stated.
What to include
The Guam Department of Labor is requesting the following information from businesses that may have been affected by Typhoon Mawar:
• Employer name and location.
• Number of employees laid off or expected to be laid off, or those whose work was interrupted due to the disaster.
• Anticipated date and length of layoffs (e.g., one to two weeks, three to four weeks, etc.).
Information can be emailed to [email protected].
There is also a survey from the Guam Hotel & Restaurant Association, which is assisting, available online at https://conta.cc/3NdGr6d.
The seal of the Guam Department of Labor is seen on the door to its Hagåtña offices on March 16, 2023.
