Earlier this month, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced a statewide incentive program for people who accept offers of employment and stay in the job for nine weeks.
Starting July 4, people who are currently receiving unemployment benefits and who take jobs between now and July 31 are eligible to receive a back-to-work bonus of up to $1000 if they retain those jobs through August 28. To qualify, workers must report to the Department of Workforce Solutions in their weekly certification that they found a job to discontinue their benefits; they’ll then receive a one-time payment of up to $1000 at the end of those nine weeks.
But the clock is ticking – for each week that passes, the amount of the incentive decreases, and those who accept a job after July 31 are not eligible for the bonus. Workers who take a job this week may receive up to $800 at the end of August.
The funding for this program comes from the American Rescue Plan Act, the most recent iteration of federal COVID-19 economic relief. The Chamber is in strong support of these payments as a way to encourage unemployed workers to come back to work. Even as restrictions lifted and were completely removed at the start of July, businesses have continued to struggle due to lack of staff that creates delays and even forces some to operate on restricted hours. These payments will help newly employed workers cover expenses that may relate to their new job, like uniforms, childcare, or transportation and in turn help our local businesses get back to work.
For more about the program and eligibility, click here.