RI’s unemployed get a small boost

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Rhode Island residents collecting unemployment benefits are getting a little bonus starting this week.

The Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training on Monday began paying an extra $25 a week in benefits as a result of the new federal economic stimulus law.

"It's putting an between $750,000 and $1 million on the street every week and in people's pockets. That's a good thing," said Lara Hard from the RI Department of Labor and Training.

Raymond Filippone, who oversees the agency’s unemployment insurance program, tells The Providence Journal that nearly 30,000 people could see the increase as soon as Tuesday.

Peter Asen, associate director of Ocean State Action, says the extra money is hardly a windfall, but will come in handy.

The agency is also in the process of training 44 new employees to speed the process of new claims driven by Rhode Island’s 10.3 percent unemployment rate.