About 1,300 more unemployed people in Hawaii will receive additional federally funded weekly jobless benefits due to a new law, but those who already have exhausted their maximum 47 weeks will not get any financial relief.

President Barack Obama signed the $18 billion jobless benefits law Thursday night on the eve of the latest state unemployment reports nationwide, which showed yesterday that Hawaii's jobless rate in March remained at 6.9 percent for the third straight month, according to the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

“;This will help the people who have recently exhausted their regular UI (unemployment insurance) benefits or are currently eligible for EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation),”; said Linda Uesato, administrator for the state Unemployment Insurance Division. “;If people already have collected EUC for 47 weeks, they can't collect anymore. What this law does is only extend the EUC end date from April 5 to June 2 without increasing the total EUC amount payable.”;

When someone in Hawaii loses a job, the state provides 26 weeks of unemployment insurance for that unemployed person. For someone filing an unemployment claim in 2010, the maximum benefit a person can receive is $559 a week if that person's annual salary is about $48,000 or greater. In addition, the individual also can receive $25 weekly in Federal Additional Compensation, making the total amount $584.

Upon exhausting the state benefits, individuals in Hawaii had been able to receive federal EUC, beginning with Tier I that provided for 20 additional weeks. They were then able to move on to Tier II (14 more weeks) and Tier III (13 more weeks) as long as they hadn't reached the April 5 deadline that would prevent them from moving on to the next tier.

Uesato said the Labor Department will mail out letters on Monday to those individuals whose state jobless benefits had lapsed and who now will be able to apply for EUC compensation. She said those currently receiving EUC benefits automatically will be extended to the next tier.

The new law allows initial applications for Tier I benefits to be accepted up to May 28. Individuals who are already on EUC must exhaust Tier I or Tier II as of the week ending May 29 to be eligible for the next tier level.

In addition, the Federal Additional Compensation program, which provides an extra $25 stimulus payment, was extended and can now be paid to individuals filing regular state claims by May 29. Individuals who are eligible for FAC as of June 2 can continue to receive FAC until the week ending Dec. 11.

Meanwhile, state Labor Department Director Darwin Ching was encouraged that Hawaii's unemployment number has stopped rising.

“;We're hopeful that this is the beginning of a stabilizing trend,”; he said.

Nationally, the unemployment rate, reported earlier this month, remained at 9.7 percent.

“;The overall (state) economy seems stuck at that (6.9 percent) level,”; said local economist Leroy Laney. “;I think there will be a gradual recovery in our economy in 2011 and the unemployment rate could begin to come down toward the end of this year and into next year.”;

For the individual islands, whose data is not seasonally adjusted, the unemployment rate on Oahu slipped to 5.6 percent from 5.7 percent in February, the Big Island rose to 10.1 percent from 9.8 percent, Kauai increased to 9.3 percent from 9.1 percent, Maui rose to 8.8 percent from 8.4 percent, Molokai increased to 12.5 percent from 11.9 percent and Lanai fell to 6.6 percent from 7.5 percent.