AUGUSTA—The Bureau of Employment Services at Maine Department of Labor launched an extensive upgrade to the Maine Job Bank on July 5. The service is now called Maine JobLink.
The new and improved, cloud-based job board features improved job search and job matching functions, notifications of job matches via email, a professional resume builder, support for more than 60 languages using Google Translate, a mobile-friendly design for smartphones and tablets and much more.
“Our team has been working extremely hard behind the scenes to make this transition as smooth as possible for our customers,” stated Maine Commissioner of Labor Jeanne Paquette. “As with any technology change, we expect that there will be some bugs to work out after launch and a learning curve as users get comfortable using the website’s new features and services. Therefore, we ask your patience during the first few weeks.”
She stated, “We are confident that the end result will benefit both Maine’s employers and job seekers.”
The new system is managed as a consortium of state labor departments, called America’s Job Link Alliance (AJLA). Maine is the 15th state to join the system. By sharing the costs and management, states ensure that their systems meet all federal and state requirements yet minimize costs.
The new system will connect with national job databases, providing improved national recruitment for Maine employers using the system. Federal contractors and employers hiring foreign labor through the federal foreign labor programs are some of the employers required by federal law to use the state system.
People filing an unemployment claim for the first time should go to www.file4UI.com. A Maine JobLink Account will be automatically created as part of the filing process. Those who have been filing unemployment claims over the past year will need to log in and completely update their Maine JobLink account by Aug. 6. Maine unemployment law requires all individuals filing for unemployment insurance benefits to be registered with Maine JobLink.
“After Aug. 6, if you file a continued claim online at file4ui.com and do not have an active or complete Maine JobLink account, you will receive a message on the screen that tells you to open or update your JobLink account,” said Paquette. “If you file by phone and you do not have a complete or active JobLink account, the system will tell you to call unemployment insurance customer service. Before you call us, we recommend that you update the information in your JobLink account using the tips below as a guide, and then try to file again, preferably online, or by phone. Doing this may avoid your having to call the department and should help your claim go through much faster.”
For assistance or further information, connect with Maine JobLink staff through the Maine CareerCenter hotline, 1 (888) 457-8883, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., visit www.mainecareercenter.com, or contact the Houlton office of Aroostook County Action Program, 91 Military St., 532-5300 or 1 (800) 697-2987.
