◆ N.M. waiting for federal OK on jobless benefit extension.

State labor officials say they are still waiting for federal guidance on when more than 160,000 New Mexicans will receive the additional federal unemployment benefits approved last week by Congress and signed into law Sunday by President Donald Trump.

The extension will pay eligible claimants — including self-employed and gig workers — an additional $300 per week for 11 weeks through the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program.

People enrolled in the federal government’s Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program for workers whose state jobless benefits have expired, also are eligible for the extra aid.

“The Department of Workforce Solutions will work as hard as possible to get these extension and increases in place as soon as we receive necessary rules and funding from the U.S.

Department of Labor,” Workforce Solutions Secretary Bill McCamley said in a news release. “We know how vital this money is to New Mexicans and will get it into people’s pockets as soon as possible so bills can get paid.”

Workforce Solutions’ technology division might have to make system changes to continue the program, McCamley said.

Federal CARES Act jobless benefits for the self-employed and those who have run out of regular state aid expired Dec. 26. The new legislation extends self-employed benefits for 11 weeks to a maximum of 50 weeks per worker. The emergency program also has been extended by 11 weeks, to a maximum of 24.

Claimants are asked not to call the Unemployment Insurance Operations Center regarding the federal extension, Workforce Solutions said in the news release, as it intends to communicate updates to workers in a variety of ways when new information becomes available.