NC House unanimously votes not to give $1,500 bonuses to people coming off unemployment

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — The North Carolina House of Representatives unanimously voted Wednesday against a bill that would provide up to $1,500 bonuses to unemployed North Carolinians who fulfill work search requirements.

House Bill 128 served as an act to reemploy the state’s workforce by providing bonuses for accepting reemployment and requiring individuals to respond to employer requests and administrative changes to the unemployment insurance laws.

To dish out the funds, the state would have had to seek approval from the U.S. Department of Labor to use funds appropriated by Congress for the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program to provide a signing bonus for unemployed claimants who accept reemployment.

House Speaker Tim Moore told CBS 17 last week that he didn’t think the idea was fair to people who have worked throughout the pandemic and did not believe that Congress would approve it.

Last week, Republican lawmakers in the state House of Representatives moved to end the additional $300 in unemployment insurance provided by the federal government.

Gov. Roy Cooper, in an executive order on June 4, reinstated pre-pandemic work search requirements for those seeking unemployment.

The work search requirements to apply for unemployment apply to all claimants receiving state unemployment benefits, Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, according to Executive Order 216.

To receive benefits, you are required to make contact with at least three different employers each week and keep a record of your work search, as is required by state law. One of the three weekly job contacts can be satisfied by attending an approved reemployment activity offered by an NCWorks Career Center or a partnering agency.

Additionally, you must register with a jobseeker account on NCWorks.gov, North Carolina’s online portal for employment and training services. Jobseekers can use NCWorks.gov to search and apply for jobs, access labor market information and find opportunities for workforce training. Existing claimants will receive notifications about registering for NCWorks.

Officials also require that you keep a detailed record of your work search. You will receive a blank Work Search Record form you can use to begin documenting your work search activities, and additional forms may be downloaded on the Division of Employment Security website.