By Jeff Harrington, Times Staff Writer
Friday, November 6, 2009

Florida's unemployment office is bracing for a surge of calls after President Obama on Friday signed legislation triggering an extended round of unemployment benefits.

The Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation, which handles unemployment issues, has extended hours for its customer service hot line over the weekend to handle queries. The toll-free hot line, 1-800-204-2418, will be staffed 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Customers can ask questions about the recent extension or existing claims.

More than a million Floridians are unemployed, with the majority of them in some stage of receiving unemployment insurance benefits. The latest extension tacks on up to 20 weeks of benefits to hardest-hit states such as Florida. It means jobless here could qualify for up to 99 weeks in total benefits.

The extension will funnel additional money to up to 250,000 Floridians on the job hunt, including 62,000 who have already exhausted state and federal benefits this year.