A former spokeswoman for Gov. Paul LePage announced Monday she was returning to the Republican administration to serve in the Maine Department of Labor. Adrienne Bennett, who left the administration in 2017, posted on Facebook that she was rejoining LePage’s team and had started in her new role as the Director of Policy and Legislative […]
Maine Department of Labor
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State seeking nominations for Silver Collar Award
AUGUSTA — The State Workforce Board’s Older Worker Committee has opened nominations for 2018’s best employers for workers over the age of 50 in Maine. In recognition of the increasing role that older workers play in today’s workforce, the committee has designated the Silver Collar Employers Award to honor Maine employers whose policies and practices […]
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Department of Labor workshop in Lewiston May 3
AUGUSTA — The Maine Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Standards is offering a free Wage and Hour Compliance Assistance course for employers. The workshop will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Thursday, May 3 at the Lewiston CareerCenter, 5 Mollison Way. The seminar covers wage and hour laws, including minimum wage, overtime, youth […]
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How Maine bungled rollout of new jobless claims system
State officials bungled the recent rollout of a new unemployment filing system, rushing out the beleaguered software with little training or care for the down-on-their-luck people seeking benefits even as the department’s leader fostered a toxic atmosphere of neglect and ordered complaints to be destroyed. That’s according to an internal memo marked “confidential,” obtained by […]
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Complaints over new state unemployment system still pouring in
Months after the state unveiled a new system that Mainers must use to file claims for unemployment benefits, frustrated state legislators still are reporting problems their constituents are having with it. Rep. Ryan Fecteau, D-Biddeford, said complaints about the new system are continuing to come in to him every week, and that the House Democratic […]
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Lewiston area Job Fair Jan. 8
LEWISTON — The Maine Department of Labor and the Lewiston CareerCenter are sponsoring a Job Fair from 10 a.m. to noon Monday, Jan. 8, at the CareerCenter, 5 Mollison Way. Area employers that will be available include Assistance Plus, CoWorx Staffing, Goodwill NNE, Manpower Maine, People Ready, Prudential, Robert Half International, Spurwink Services, TD Bank, […]
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Unemployment claims system baffles Mainers left without benefit checks
Three weeks after the state switched to a new online system for filing unemployment claims, many residents say they aren’t receiving their benefits and can’t get anyone to deal with their complaints. But the Maine Department of Labor says the system is performing as expected as it continues to address the problems that prevented claimants […]
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Maine unemployment claims system will be down for a week
Mainers will be unable to file unemployment claims for one week — from Nov. 30 to Dec. 6 — as the state implements a new claims filing system. The Maine Department of Labor has announced that they are joining the ReEmployUSA partnership — which so far includes Mississippi, Maine, Rhode Island and Connecticut — to streamline processing […]
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Sabattus Sanitary District gains award
SABATTUS — The Sabattus Sanitary District and Water Division has received, for the second time, the Maine Department of Labor’s Safety and Health Award for Public Employers. The SHAPE award is given to employers who are striving to provide a safe and healthful work place. The award is given only to exemplary public sector employers […]
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Maine unemployment rate is lowest since 2001
Maine’s unemployment rate is the lowest it’s been in 16 years. The state’s January unemployment rate of 3.5 percent is the lowest it’s been since March 2001, according to the Maine Department of Labor. The preliminary seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was down from 3.8 percent in December, down 1,300 people over the year to 24,300 […]