On Friday, November 6, 2009, President Obama signed new federal legislation making further unemployment extension benefits available. The first eligible week for the new benefits is the week starting Sunday, November 8, 2009. Because the new extension is not retroactive, it does not apply to any weeks of unemployment prior to the enactment date of November 8.

The new extensions do add a total of up to 14 more weeks of benefits available to those who have run out of all available benefits, or could do so by the end of the year. There is also the potential for six more weeks of benefits being added for a total of up to 20 weeks if Congress takes further action and extends filing deadlines beyond the end of the year.

The new extensions set new records for benefit weeks available in a federal extension program and will require complex programming to implement.

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