This story originally appears on www.postguam.com.
Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero announced Guam's federally funded unemployment aid programs have been launched.
Those residents financially effected by the pandemic are now able to file for unemployment benefits.
Guam Labor Director David Dell'Isolla counsels patience as the more than 22,000 residents file jobless claims. Residents without a computer with an internet connection may visit their mayoral offices for assistance in filing.
Guam Labor contracted Florida-based Geographic Solutions for the computer system that runs the unemployment benefits program, which is integrated in www.hireguam.com. The software is key to the local rollout of the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation programs.
The U.S. Department of Labor released an initial allotment of $276 million to Guam Labor.